Unforgettable
by AznVKai
Summary: Darkness has fallen upon Soul Society as an exiled Soul Reaper and his army of vengeful spirits appeared to eliminate the Gotei 13. Amongst them is a young soul who once shared his past with a certain fifth division lieutenant. "Shiro-chan..."
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another HitsuHina fan fiction story! Unlike my previous works, I have decided to try something new by **UnbelievableAnimeFreak**'s suggestion in writing an angst story. Of course, I can't guarantee that my skill in writing that genre is good but I shall do my best. Wish me luck! Without any further delay, here is the prologue to this Unforgettable. Enjoy!

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**LEGEND**

"Talking." _**Toshiro's Thoughts.** A Mysterious Voice._

* * *

**Prologue**

**_I hear a voice..._**

A pair of emerald-teal eyes opened in response to the fierce roar. Wondering where he is, white haired child scanned the area for anything recognizable. However, he couldn't. He is in a middle of a remote field filled with nothing but snow and ice. "Where am I?"

All of a sudden, he felt a strong force blowing against him. He raised both arms to shield his face. Again, he heard the familiar sound.

**_A loud and thunderous voice..._**

The boy slowly lowered his arms and opened his eyes to see the surrounding dark shadow below. He raised his head to see a roaring serpent-like beast with wide wings. He gasped and raised his arms once more, bracing himself for the worst.

**_It's powerful and overwhelming..._**

However, he didn't feel any pain. Wondering the whereabouts of the mythical creature, he cautiously put his guard down and saw the beast majestically standing before him. With its wings spread out, the dragon let out an echoing roar that froze the land even more.

**_I wonder..._**

"Who are you?"

**_Why is it here..._**

He could have sworn the beast was trying to tell him something, but its words were drowned by the blistering winds.

**_...calling out to me?_**

"What?" he called out. "I can't hear you!"

**_Tell me..._**

_My name is..._

* * *

"Ohayo Shiro-chan!"

The white haired child blinked before he realized that he is staring at the all too familiar raven haired girl with chocolate brown eyes. His heart raced at the sight of her soft gorgeous lips close by. Just as he felt his cheeks heat up, the young boy quickly raised his arm and pushed her face away with his hand. "You're too close, Bed-Wetter."

The pig tailed haired girl pouted as she grabbed his wrist and pulled hand away from her cheek. She replied, "Mou, I don't wet the bed anymore."

He sat up and folded his arms over his chest. "Then, stop calling me by that ridiculous nickname."

"Momo." The two children glanced over to see an elderly woman in their presence. "Toshiro, you're awake."

As Hitsugaya nodded with agreement, Hinamori asked, "Is there something you need, Obaa-san?"

"We're almost out of rice," she replied. "Can you go into town and buy some?"

The peach girl nodded her head. "Okay."

Then, she turned to her white haired friend and smiled.

"Let's go together after we eat some breakfast."

Toshiro slowly let out a deep sigh, vulnerable to the innocent puppy eyes she is making. "Fine."

With that said, the pig tailed haired girl happily left the elderly woman and her grandson alone. After observing his behaviour, a soft smile appeared on Obaa-san's face. "Go ahead, Toshiro. I'll make the bed for you."

Hitsugaya replied, "It's alright, Obaa-san. I can do it."

Then, he felt a hand placed on his head. He watched her gently brush her hand against his white hair. "The food's going to get cold."

After a moment, a smile appeared on his face. "Arigato."

With that said, the boy ran off to catch up with his raven haired friend.

* * *

"We'll be back soon!"

Momo waved to their grandmother as she and Toshiro are leaving home. "Have a safe trip!"

"We will!"

After a while, Hinamori put her hand down and turned her attention to the front. During this time, Hitsugaya placed his hands together on the back of his head.

"We have enough money to buy something else."

"Hn, is that so?" Toshiro replied.

Momo looked at him and suggested, "If it's cheap, we should buy a nice huge watermelon."

Upon hearing her mention his favourite fruit, the white haired boy's face lightened up. The peach girl giggled.

"You're so easy to read."

Then, his expression turned into a frown. After putting his arms down, he looked away and muttered, "Uruse."

At that moment, he felt strange. So, he stopped and turned around to see what caused him to be on high alert. However, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Shiro-chan, is there something wrong?"

Hitsugaya immediately shot her a glare. "Oi, stop calling me by that nickname!"

Hinamori stopped and began walking over to him. "Well, hurry up or else we're going lose each other in the crowd."

Then, she extended her hand out and took hold of his. Conscious of the physical contact, he looked directly at her glowing brown eyes.

"Let's go now."

As he felt the blood rushing up to his face, Toshiro quickly let go of her hand and folded his arms. While his head is turned away, he replied, "We're not going to lose each other."

Momo let out a smile. No matter how many years have passed, her white haired friend hasn't changed a bit.

All of a sudden, they heard a series of screams. The two children turned their heads to see people scattering off to the sides. One of them cried out, "We're under attack! Run!"

Then, they heard several roars. They raised their heads to see beasts responsible for the chaos. Toshiro and Momo gasped.

"Hollows are in the area!"

Without a moment to waste, Hitsugaya grabbed Hinamori's hand and pulled her to a run. They heard another roar, but it's louder. Wondering what is going on, Momo glanced over her shoulder and gasped. One of the masked beasts is chasing them. She resumed her attention to the front and called out, "Shiro-chan, it's gaining on us!"

Toshiro hissed between his teeth, cursing over the fact that the Hollow chose them as its target.

**_Where are they?_**

Living in one of the safest places in Rukongai, it is rare that Hollows appear in the area. It's all because they live right next door to Seireitei, the heart of Soul Society and home to many Hollow purifiers called Shinigami.

**_Where are the Shinigami?_**

Suddenly, he heard a familiar scream. Recognizing it to be Momo's, he stopped and turned around to see her fall down on one knee. He looked ahead to see the Hollow is not too far away. Knowing that they must quickly get to safety, Toshiro began pulling his friend back on her feet. Then, he heard a very loud roar. Just as he turned his attention to the noise, he felt a strong force pushing him on his side. Hitsugaya gasped for breath. Unable to defend, he was knocked away to the side and crashed into a nearby food stall. "Shiro-chan!"

In response to her voice, Toshiro regained his conscious. The first thing he saw was a red stain on the palm of his hand down to his lower arm. Realizing that he's bleeding, Hitsugaya felt a sharp pain on his side. He let out a deep hiss and looked down to see other hand placed over his blood soaking wound. However, he has no time to worry about his injuries. He heard Momo's cry for help and needs to rescue her.

He quickly got on his knees and looked up to see the Hollow has grabbed his childhood friend with its claws. Looking for something to attack the beast with, he found a nearby short knife. He picked it up and ran towards the Hollow.

Upon noticing the white haired boy, the masked beast used its other set of claws and tried to knock him away. However, Toshiro anticipated the move and quickly got down. Using the gained momentum, he slid across the ground and all the way to the monster's feet. He used this opportunity to stab the knife into the centre of its foot. Feeling the pain, the Hollow let go of Momo and cried out loud.

Once she crash landed on the rough ground, the peach girl groaned in pain. "Ow, that hurts."

"Run Hinamori!" Upon hearing his voice, she looked over to see her bleeding friend calling out to her. "Run!"

However, she didn't. Her eyes were too focused on another Hollow that is standing behind the white haired boy. Just as the beast raised its claw, she immediately cried, "Shiro-chan!"

At that moment, Hitsugaya noticed a shadow looming over him. By the time he turned around, the Hollow pierced its claws through his left side. He gasped for breath. Before he could do anything, he was thrown off to the side like a rag doll. Lying on the rough ground, he hoarsely coughed out blood.

"Shiro-chan! Shiro-chan!"

He slowly opened his eyes to see the teary raven haired girl running to his side. Once she got down on her knees, she gently turned him on his back. Upon seeing the wounds on his body, she placed a hand over her mouth to cover her gasp. Toshiro coughed a few more times before he croacked, "B-Baka, l-leave me here."

"No, I won't leave you," Hinamori exclaimed, "not until the Shinigami come and help us!"

Suddenly, he noticed his vision is getting blurry.

**_Shit, I can't see._**

They heard a loud roar. Momo looked over and saw the Hollow marching up to them. Frozen with fear, she helplessly watched the beast raised its bloody claw. Just as it struck its claw down on them, two sword wielding people appeared and defended against the attack. Hinamori immediately let out a smile on her face. She resumed her attention to her white haired friend and said, "They're finally here, Shiro-chan. The Shinigami are here to rescue u-"

She noticed the blood on his left side is still spreading like wildfire all the way down to his waist. She also noticed his breathing has drastically slowed down and his face turning pale.

**_I don't want to die. Not now, it's too early._**

"Shiro...chan?"

Looking in the direction where he heard her, the dirty white haired boy slowly raised his right hand up.

**_I...still have yet to tell her._**

Feeling the warmth of hers placed around his, he weakly said, "Bed...Wetter..."

"E-Everything is going to be alright, I promise," she replied with her sincere smile. "All you need to do is stay awake."

He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but he could feel his strength quickly leave him.

**_I love you..._**

With no energy left, he closed his eyes and tilted his head over to one side.

Suddenly, the smile on her lips disappeared. "Sh-Shiro...chan?"

Just as she let go of his hand, she watched the lifeless arm tip over and fall down to the ground. After a long minute of silence, the realization finally dawned to her.

"No..."

Tears began to swell in her eyes as she extended her shaky hand out. Once she touched his cold cheek, her worst fears have been confirmed. Her tears quickly flowed down her cheeks like running water. Unable to contain her emotions, she placed her hands down and cried out to the one who risked his life to protect hers.

"Shiro-chan!"

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

**_Ohayo_** - Good Morning, _**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Shinigami**_ - Soul Reaper, _**Baka**_ - Idiot

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**Author's Note**: OMG, it's not even the first chapter and I've already started crying! _*sniff*_ Geez, what is going to happen to me as I write the later chapters? Anyways, before you throw any pointy objects and rotten vegetables at me, Toshiro will come back in the story...somehow. xP All you need to do is stay tuned for my next update! In the meantime, please review with your comments for the first chapter. Thanks!


	2. Invaders

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series and its characters goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh yeah, I'm out of school for the summer and it's my birthday! What better way to celebrate it than posting a chapter to one of my stories? I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for reading the prologue especially my wonderful reviewers: **Hitsuhina fanatic, punk lolita23, icyangel27, skylark dragonstar, ProGinger27, Levvychan, UnbelievableAnimeFreak, Georgina, xbrainlessxxwriterx, TUranzaRE711, BlackHeart1723, vic-chan, **and** misslaly19.  
**

Now, here's a little recap: Toshiro and Momo lived normal lives in Junrin'an when they were attacked by a group of Hollows. As they waited for the Shinigami to come to their rescue, they tried to escape from danger. But when he saw Momo in danger, Toshiro risked his life to save hers. However, in exchange, he paid the ultimate price and died due to his injuries. _*sniff*_

Anyway, what is going to happen next? Well, read chapter one and find out. Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter One: **Invaders

**_Fifty-Two Years Later..._**

As he is typing away on his computer, the third seat of the twelfth division raised his head and noticed a series of blue dots coming from the large screen display. Finding his discovery to be of significant importance, the three horned scientist turned his body to his captain who is busy talking to their subordinate. "Kurotsuchi-taicho, there's a strange level of spiritual activity going on in Karakura Town."

Mayuri stopped and turned his attention to the screen. After a brief moment of assessing the situation, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. He commanded, "Hurry up and identify it."

"We're on it!" Akon replied.

As he and a few other subordinates started typing away on their computers, the dots stopped appearing on the screen. Upon realizing it, one of the lower seated officers said, "Sir, the signals disappeared!"

"I can see that!" Kurotsuchi snapped. "Now, hurry up and get to the bottom of this!"

"W-We probably over looked this," one of the younger subordinates asked. "Could those signals actually belong to Hollows?"

"No, they're not," Akon replied. "Nor do they belong to our allies in Karakura Town."

He resumed his attention to the big screen.

"They might belong to a species entirely different from what we've faced before."

"Yes, it's quite possible that might happen," Mayuri agreed with a grin on his face. He raised a hand up to show off his long nail. "I can't wait to learn about them once I cut open their bodies and look inside. Continue to trace the signals; they're bound to show up on the monitor again."

"Yes sir!"

"I'm sure soitaicho would like to know of this interesting discovery."

* * *

A grin appeared on his lips as he rested his chin on the top of his fist. Sitting on his large comfy seat, the light gray haired man watched the people dressed in black kimonos walk, eat, and socialize with one another on the large spiritual powered monitor. "Look at these fools; they're walking around Seireitei as if there's not a care in the world."

"Oh yeah, they are such lazy asses." He glanced over to see his allies (whose faces were hidden under the darkness of the room) sitting on the different levels of large boxes scattered around the large warehouse. "They should be running frantically like little lab rats, trying to save the people who needed them the most. Besides, souls die with every passing minute that goes."

Without any warning, one of them punched his fist on the side which followed by a loud crack. "Just thinking about it makes me want to go down there and teach them a good lesson."

"Oh, now look what you've done," another one complained. "Now, we need to find another seat for you."

"Who cares about him?" the forth figure said. "He can just sit his ass down on the floor."

"Hey, I heard that!" the second person snapped.

"Can we go to another hideout?" a fifth person asked. "This one's too filthy for my taste."

Ignoring the comments of his bickering allies, the elderly leader turned his attention to the one sitting closet to him. "What do you think of this place?"

He took quick glances around the room and replied, "I think it's a good place to establish our hideout. The protectors of Karakura Town won't figure it out easily since this is their allies's former hangout, Shin-san."

"Hn, what were they called again?" another asked.

"Visords."

"Yeah, whatever he said."

Then, they heard a giggle from behind. "Luckily, we ambushed and locked them up in a different dimension before any of them returned here. They won't be able to return here anytime soon; I guarantee it."

"Good," Shin replied. "Everything is going well just as I expected it to be."

"So Shin-sama," the third voice asked. "What do you want us to do next?"

The elderly leader lifted his head and placed his hand on his chin. "Who wants to visit Soul Society?"

All of a sudden, several hands were raised. "Ou, pick me! I want to go!"

"I want to go too!"

"Yes!" One of them stood up from his seat. "I can't wait to kick their sorry asses!"

After a brief moment of silence, the light gray haired man slowly got up on his feet. "Fine, all of you can go."

"Yosh!"

"Alright!"

"Jun." Then, he turned around to face his allies and ordered, "Sai, go out and take care of Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. While the eight of us go and pay a visit to meet with the Gotei 13, the rest of you look after the hideout. Do you all understand?"

The two selected members suddenly let out snickering grins on their faces. "Yes sir."

* * *

"Hn, is that so?"

As Captain Commander Yamamoto is looking out at the open view of Soul Society, he narrowly opened an eye and quickly glanced back at the twelfth division captain. Mayuri raised his right hand and replied, "Yes, it appears we have quite the adversary on our hands considering his age."

"Yes," the old man agreed. "Who would have thought he would come back?"

There was a short pause.

"Inform our allies in Karakura Town of his existence including Lieutenant Momo Hinamori and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, who were sent there on patrol."

"Whatever you say, Captain Commander."

With that said, the scientist left the elderly Soul Reaper alone. After a while, Yamamoto raised his head to look at the passing clouds in the sky. "After all these years, you have finally decided to make your move. We'll be ready for you, Shin."

* * *

"Ou, I'm so happy!" the strawberry orange haired woman exclaimed as she and her friends are walking through the city streets. "We got these clothes for such a cheap price!"

The raven haired girl, who is walking beside her, giggled and replied, "You said it, Rangiku-san."

"Ran-chan."

Hearing the familiar voice, the two girls stopped and turned around to see their companions: Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, and Gin Ichimaru. Matsumoto turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "Stop belly aching already, Gin. It's only a couple of bags."

"You're so mean," the gray haired male said. "How can you make your childhood friend hold all your purchases?"

"That's what you get for backstabbing us and getting exiled from Soul Society in the first place."

"I had to or else I wouldn't have been able to get close to our old enemy, Aizen."

"That's not a valid excuse!" she retorted.

With that said, the tenth division lieutenant turned around and continued walking. Ichigo put his hands into his pants pockets. "You sure have it rough."

Ichimaru merely shrugged his shoulders. "Hn, I'm used to it."

Hinamori cracked a smile on her face and continued walking with her peer. Just watching her interact with childhood friend, made her recall a distant memory of her and a certain boy she once lived with. Momo lowered her head and let out a soft sigh.

About fifty years have passed after his death. Since then, Hinamori made a vow at his grave to become strong enough to protect the people she cares about. So, she enrolled into Shino Academy and graduated as a full fledged Soul Reaper of the Gotei 13. Then, she worked hard to climb her way up the ranks. Now, she's the fifth division lieutenant.

"What's wrong, Hinamori-san?"

Snapping back to reality, she looked over at the concerned orange haired teenager and replied, "Ah no, nothing's wrong. I was only daydreaming."

Matsumoto grinned. "Were you daydreaming about guys, Hinamori?"

Momo blushed. "O-Of course no-"

All of a sudden, everyone heard a series of alarms. As Ichigo took out his Substitute Shinigami badge, Rangiku took out her soul phone and checked the small screen. Then, she turned to her allies. "Hollows have appeared."

Kurosaki clenched tightly on the badge. As a result, his spirit was ejected from his body. Seeing that the vacant body is tipping towards him, Ichimaru raised his hands caught him by the arms. The orange haired Soul Reaper said, "Let's go."

At that moment, Momo and Rangiku ate their soul candies and separated their souls from their bodies as well. The two females nodded with agreement. "Okay."

Ichigo turned to his classmate. "Inoue, stay here with Ichimaru."

She nodded. "Be careful everyone."

Matsumoto smiled. "Don't worry, Orihime-chan; we'll be back before you know it."

With that said, the three Soul Reapers leaped into the air and took off to find the Hollows.

"How mean," Gin said. "They left me to look after all their luggage."

"Oh my gosh, you're so hot!"

Inoue and Ichimaru looked over to see the Mod Soul Matsumoto drooling over the exiled Shinigami. As a result, she leaned against his shoulder.

"Oh dear, I think she likes me."

Orihime hesitantly laugh. "I think so too."

* * *

"I see them!" Hinamori exclaimed. "They're over there!"

Upon seeing the masked beasts coming out of the garganta, Ichigo placed his hands together on the hilt of his sword and picked up the pace. After he got ahead of the two lieutenants, he swung his sword across and fired a sword beam. "Getsuga Tensho!"

As a result, the first wave of Hollows disintegrated into the atmosphere and were quickly replaced by the next wave. At that moment, Rangiku and Momo drew their swords and joined the battle. Matsumoto placed her free hand on the side of her blade and released her sword's initial release. "Unare, Haineko!"

At that moment, her blade turned into ashes that surrounded her body before it headed straight for the nearest group of Hollows. One of the Hollows tried to stop the attack by clawing its way through, but the ashes easily evaded the claws and sliced parts of its body. The masked beast let out an agonizing cry before disappearing into thin air.

Upon noticing one of its kind die, the other beasts declared war by letting out fierce cries and charged at the strawberry orange haired woman. Just as they were inches away from confrontation, their movements were suddenly stopped. A net of spiritual energy appeared, surrounding the whole group. "Hajike, Tobiume!"

They turned their heads to the side to see the incoming large fireball. Unable to defend against the attack, one of the Hollows took the attack head on. However, the ambush didn't stop there. The impact of the blast triggered the net of spiritual energy to catch on fire and eventually explode as well. Once the chain reaction ceased, the Hollows were obliterated from existence. "Sugoi Hinamori, you're definitely showing no mercy today."

Hearing the familiar voice, Momo turned to the older Soul Reaper standing next to her. She smiled and replied, "I'm just doing my job."

Suddenly, they heard another series of roars. Seeing that a large Hollow is about to drop its fist down on them, the two females used flash step and evade to the side. Matsumoto quickly retaliated by extending her hand out and command her ashes to slice it into bits. As a result, the masked beast was eliminated as well. She sighed with defeat. "Is there any more of them?"

Hinamori glanced to see how the Substitute Shinigami is doing. She replied, "I don't see anymore of them appearing and Kurosaki-kun is dealing with the last ones that are still in the area."

Once her sword returned to its original state, Rangiku put the bladed weapon back in its sheath. Then, she placed her hands together on the back of her head. "Thank goodness, I don't want to deal with more Hollows."

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo exclaimed. His released sword beam sliced the last three Hollows in half before they disappeared into the atmosphere. Once they are gone, he rested his sword on his shoulder and reunited with his companions. "Hopefully, there won't be any more of them for a while."

Momo nodded. "Let's head back before Inoue and Ichimaru-san starts looking for us."

"Yeah."

Just as they were about to leave the area, they heard a lone series of claps. They froze and began scanning the area.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Hearing the voice, the Shinigami raised their heads to see two males (who are dressed in different coloured casual yukatas) standing in midair. The dark blue haired male ceased his clap and placed a hand on his hip. "You just earned yourself five stars for killing those Hollows."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the suspicious people. "Who are you?"

"Us?" the shorter person asked. Suddenly, they flew down to their level so that they would stand face to face with their opponents. He took a step forward and answered, "Allow us to introduce ourselves: we're your new rulers of Soul Society!"

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

**_Taicho_** - Captain, _**Soitaicho**_ - Captain Commander, _**Shinigami** _- Soul Reaper, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing

* * *

**Author's Note**: Okay, I have some explaining to do. First of all, this fan fiction takes place sometime after the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc with some changed events. One of those changes include Ichimaru's survival. After the Winter War ended, Ichimaru allowed Rose reclaim his position as the third division captain and left Soul Society to spend his relaxing days with Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai in Karakura Town. Other changes will be mentioned as the story progresses.

What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out in the next chapter! Please review with your comments, questions, and suggestions! Thanks.


	3. War Declaration

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series and its characters goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Unforgettable. Thank you everyone for all your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **Hitsuhina fanatic, punk lolita23, icyangel27, FireflyCity **_(x2)_**, skylark dragonstar, TUranzaRE711, Levvychan, UnbelievableAnimeFreak, squirtlepokemon215, **and** ProGinger27.**

In the last chapter, about fifty-two years has passed. During this time, Momo has joined the Gotei 13 and worked hard up the ranks to become the fifth division lieutenant. One day, she and Matsumoto were sent to Karakura Town to patrol the area with Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Shinigami. After defeating some Hollows, they met up with two mysterious figures.

Who are they and what is going to happen? Read and find out! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Two: **War Declaration

"Argh, we finally finished with that report!"

Lieutenant Renji Abarai said as he stretched his arms in the air. Walking by his side, Rukia Kuchiki looked at her old friend and replied, "That one took longer than normal to finish because we were on that mission for the past week."

The tall Soul Reaper put his arms down. "I don't wan t to write another one like that anytime soon."

"Abarai-kun! Kuchiki-kun!"

Recognizing the voice, the two friends stopped and turned around to see the third division lieutenant walking over to them. "Yo Kira."

"You guys are headed to Kuchiki-taicho's place?" Izuru asked.

Rukia nodded. "Nii-sama requests that we have lunch together."

"I see."

"Where are you headed off to?" Renji asked.

"I need to head back to the third division. Hisagi-san asked me to hand in my article for this month's issue."

At that moment, the black haired female placed her fist on the palm of her other hand. "Ah, I almost forgot! I need to hand in my illustrations soon to Hisa-"

All of a sudden, the three members of the Gotei 13 felt a strong force. The force was so strong that they had to spread their feet and maintain ground.

"W-What is this reiatsu?"

Once magnitude of the force lightened, the looked over in the eastern direction. Kira replied, "I-I don't know, but I think it is a good idea to head back to our divisions and wait for our instructions."

"Yeah," Abarai agreed. "The last time we felt something like this was during our fight against Aizen."

All of a sudden, they saw a large explosion coming from the east.

"Damn, it seems like we can't return to our divisions. We have to go investigate it."

"Then, let's go," Rukia said.

With a few nods from her peers, the three lieutenants jumped onto the rooftop of the nearest building and quickly ran towards the explosion. Along the way, they noticed two more explosions coming from the sides.

"No way! The explosions are coming from the gates!"

"So, the intruder is busting into Seireitei from Rukongai?" Renji asked.

"It appears so," Kira replied as he took a quick glance at the Western Gate behind them. He resumed his attention to the front. "They're attacking from all sides."

"In order to do that, they had to defeat all the gate keepers," Rukia said.

"Then, it's safe to say that they're at least as strong as us."

The expression Abarai and Kuchiki's faces turned serious. No wanting to get into any more detail, Rukia replied, "Let's pick up the pace."

Renji nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

As he watched the four gates bust open from all sides, the Captain Commander stood alone on the rooftop of the first division headquarters. Then, he narrowly opened his eyes and turned his attention to the light gray haired man standing behind him. A grin appeared on his face. "Genryusai Yamamoto, it has been a while."

The old man turned to confront his opponent. "Shin, you haven't changed one bit since our last meeting."

"I wish I can say the same thing, but you lost an arm. You must be getting too old for your job."

"I don't plan on stepping down nor will I pass it on to someone like you."

With that said, he held out his cane. Applying his spiritual powers into it, the cane turned into his zanpakuto. By the time he drew it, he released a wave of fire at the intruder. Before the flames reached his opponent, he saw Shin draw his sword and used flash step to get away. Wasting no time, the Captain Commander also used flash step to catch up with the enemy.

* * *

"W-What just happened?"

Moments ago, Shinigami of the seventh and ninth divisions arrived to guard the Northern Gate when it suddenly bust open with a strong force that clouded the area. "D-Damn it, I can't see."

After several coughs, Soul Reapers slowly opened their eyes to see two silhouettes behind the thick smoke. "N-No way! Only two of them defeated the gate keeper and destroyed the ga-"

Without any warning, one of them charged through the smoke and appeared in of him. At first, the Soul Reaper was surprised by his speed. However, he quickly recovered and drew his sword. He wasted no time striking him down.

"Yes, I got hi-"

"You're slow." Realizing where he went, he quickly twisted his body around. But before he could defend, the intruder cut off his right arm with a large butcher knife. The Shinigami let out a wail before he got down on his knees and collapsed to the ground. As the enemy rest his bloody sword on his shoulder, he watched the astonished Soul Reapers. A grin appeared on his face. He asked, "Whose next?"

"D-Don't mess with us!"

With a fierce yell, one of them placed his hands together on the hilt of his sword and charged at the intruder. One of his comrades extended his hand out and called out to him, "No, wait up!"

But before the attacking Shinigami could lay a hand on the dark haired male, a blast of spiritual energy appeared through the last bit of smoke and shot through his side. The ambush attack also went through several Soul Reapers behind the second victim of the night. As the survivors watched their allies fall, they saw a long haired female walk through the smoke and stand next to her ally. "Baka, they can't even do their job right in taking us down. Isn't that right, Seto?"

"I agree, Miyu," the other intruder replied. "It's time to teach them the proper way to eliminate your enemies."

They raised the palm of their hands and fired a powerful blast of spiritual energy in their direction. Just as the Soul Reapers tried to jump out of the way, four familiar figures appeared in front of the attacks. Two of them quickly drew their swords and redirected the dual moves off to the side. "Komamura-taicho!" one of them exclaimed. "Iba-fukutaicho!"

"Muguruma-taicho and Hisagi-fukutaicho are here too!" another Shinigami said.

The male intruder grinned with amusement. "Hn, the big shots are finally here."

"This is going to be fun," Miyu said. "Isn't that right, Seto?"

"Oh, that's right."

"You guys tend to the injured," Shuhei instructed. "We'll handle them."

"Yes sir!" the lower ranked Soul Reapers replied.

The tattooed faced lieutenant resumed his attention to the front. "Muguruma-taicho."

"Good work Shuhei," Kensei said. "Now, we can concentrate on those two."

"Yes, I agree," Komamura replied. "Just by looking at the expression on their faces, they mean business. We need to proceed with caution."

* * *

When Renji, Rukia, and Izuru arrived at their destination, the intruders have already began advancing deeper into Seireitei.

"Watch my back!" After seeing his comrades nod with agreement, Abarai quickly drew his sword and jumped off of the building. Placing his fingertips on his blade and brushed it all the way to its tip. "Hoero, Zabimaru!"

At that moment, the blade turned into a single sided jagged one. With a fierce yell, he swung his sword across. The extended blade reached his opponents. However, they jumped out of the way and dodged the attack. Renji hissed between his teeth and landed on the ground safely.

"Hn, not bad," one of the intruders said. "Three lieutenants have come to take care of us."

"Correction: three lieutenants and two captains," the other one replied as he pointed his finger to the side.

Everyone looked over to see the presence of the two Gotei 13 captains, who are standing on the building rooftop. Recognizing one of them, Rukia said, "Nii-sama!"

"Otoribashi-taicho!" Kira exclaimed.

The sixth division captain glanced at his lieutenant and sister. "Renji, Rukia, keep your guards up."

They nodded. Abarai said, "Yes sir!"

"I understand, Nii-sama," the female Kuchiki replied.

"Now, this is going to be fun." The blond haired male said. "Let's go, Tetsuya."

The brown haired male sighed with defeat. "Fine, I got your back Leon."

* * *

"Hn, so you're here."

Eleventh division captain, Kenpachi Zaraki glanced over his shoulder to see the fifth division captain in his presence. "Shinji Hirako, don't get in my way."

He turned his attention to the front and watched the smoke clear.

"He's my opponent."

"That's right!" the pink haired girl, Yachiru Kusajishi exclaimed upon popping out from under his haori. "Ken-chan can take him down on his own!"

Hirako put his hands into his sleeves and gave them a stern look. "I wasn't expecting you to ask for any assistance in the first place."

He sighed with defeat.

"Maybe I should have stayed back at my division, listening to the latest techno-pop music soundtrack I got from the living world."

"Are you guys done chatting yet?" Shinji looked over at the black haired male, who is walking through the cloud of smoke, with his pole stick held out to the side. "I'm getting tired of waiting."

Kenpachi grinned with amusement. Without a moment to waste, he charged at the intruder. He raised his sword up high and exclaimed, "That's my line!"

* * *

Sword blades clashed against one another as the two opponents battled for dominance. Then, they jumped back to create some distance. A grin appeared on her face. She said, "Not bad for an old man like you."

"Yare yare," Shunsui Kyoraku replied. "I'm not that old at least compared to Yama-jii."

As he continued to talk with his female opponent, the other intruder appeared behind the eighth division captain. Just as he is about to strike the older man down, he glanced over to see the incoming kick. He changed course of his attack and redirected it to the side. The foot landed on the centre of his blade and pushed him back. The intruder back flipped and landed on one knee. Once he raised his head, he saw the pig tailed female captain standing in his presence. Second division captain, Soi Fon said, "You're facing against me."

He grinned with amusement. "Fine, have it your way not that it makes any difference."

Suddenly, she disappeared from sight. By tracing her reiatsu, he glanced to the side and raised the palm of his hand. He quickly fired a beam of spiritual energy in her direction.

* * *

"Our new rulers of Soul Society?" Matsumoto asked. Then, she moved her hand off to the side. "We're not going to follow orders under you!"

"Fine." Jun said. "We're just going to have to make you do so!"

With that said Sai and Jun placed their hands on their sheath and drew their swords. One sword immediately changed into a scythe. The other infused with its master's arms and formed a pair long claw. They charged at their opponents.

Ichigo leaped into the air. With a fierce yell, he fired a sword beam in their direction. While the scythe wielded male took on Kurosaki's attack, Jun jumped out of the way and headed straight at the two lieutenants. Rangiku quickly drew her zanpakuto and called out, "Unare, Haineko!"

Hinamori placed both hands on the hilt of her sword and swung it across, shooting a fireball at her opponent. "Hajike, Tobiume!"

Upon seeing the cloud of ashes and the fireball, a smirk appeared on Jun's face. He suddenly disappeared from sight and reappeared from behind them. Just as he is about to strike, Momo and Rangiku glanced over their shoulders and jumped out of the way in opposite directions. As a result, his attack missed.

Jun looked left to see Matsumoto and then looked right to see Hinamori. Once he made his choice, the claw user applied some pressure on his right foot. Using it as a booster, he quickly caught up with the raven haired Soul Reaper. He raised the claw on his right hand and threw a fist at her. However, she stopped the attack with the interception of her sword. Sensing a nearby presence, Jun glanced over to the side to see a cloud of ashes surrounding him and Momo. He quickly pulled away from the fifth division vice-captain and jumped away from his opponent.

Meanwhile, Matsumoto is watching the battle unfold from nearby. She raised her left hand and moved it to the side. Obeying its master's order, the ashes began attacking its intended target. Just as it made any contact, the blade particles were stopped fifty centimetres away from Jun. The expression on Rangiku's face turned serious. _"He's protected by a barrier."_

Her eyes turned to meet with her allies'. With a short nod, Hinamori raised the palm of her hands and exclaimed, "Hado Number 33: Sokatsui!"

Soon, a wave of blue spiritual energy was shot at the barrier. However, it was too strong to break through. Jun suddenly let out a wide smirk. "Not bad, but you have to do better than tha-"

Without any warning, something came flying in his direction and knocked him down into the river below. After seeing what has happened, Rangiku and Momo looked over their shoulders to see the Substitute Shinigami standing in midair near them. Matsumoto said, "Ichigo."

Kurosaki raised an arm and wiped the blood that is dripping on the side of his lips. "Hey Sai, don't tell me you're having difficulties dealing with the Gotei 13's saviour."

"Of course not," the scythe user replied. "I was just testing him."

"Good," Jun said. "The last thing we want is for you to be the first one amongst the thirteen of us to be defeated by the enemy. That would put shame to us all."

"Relax; I won't let that happen to me."

Jun shot him a glare. "Then, fight seriously."

Sai scratched the side of his head. "Fine, I'll stop playing fun and games."

His ally nodded. "Don't mess up."

With that said, the two enemies leaped and stopped in midair. As they stood in front of their opponents, Sai rested his scythe on his shoulder and said, "That is the last time you will hit me."

However, the orange haired Soul Reaper wasn't listening. He was too busy observing the injuries his opponent was inflicted. His eyes slightly narrowed; he barely scratched his enemy.

"Who are you exactly?" Matsumoto asked. At that moment, she and her allies disappeared from sight and reappeared near their opponents. They tried to attack them from different angles. However, Jun and Sai easily defended with their weapons. "What are you planning to accomplish?"

"You will find out soon enough," said an echoing voice. "Shinigami."

The three Soul Reapers began looking around in search of the person who is communicating with them. Ichigo exclaimed, "Show yourself!"

"I will in due time, Substitute Shinigami."

Momo blinked. _"That voice..."_

She took a moment to place her free hand on her chin. In the meantime, the voice continued to speak. "Jun, Sai...It's time to head back to the hideout."

"What?" Jun asked. "Why do _we _have to listen to you?"

"You have to because they are orders from Shin-san. I'm just passing the message along."

"Eh, you're serious? That was really fast."

"I know," the voice echoed. "Our allies have successfully held their own against the captains while Shin-san has finished his business with the Captain Commander in Seireitei."

"The Captain Commander?" Rangiku asked.

"What did you guys do to everyone there?" Ichigo further questioned.

"Oh, don't worry," Sai replied as he turned to the three Soul Reapers. "Our boss went to Soul Society to say hi to an old friend of his."

"That's right," Jun agreed. "You better head over there to check things out."

Suddenly, they formed wide smirks on their lips.

"Besides, there's no guarantee that the faithful reunion was all that peaceful."

Ichigo hissed between his teeth. "You bastards."

Ignoring the Substitute Shinigami's words, Jun and Sai raised their heads up. The scythe user suddenly said to the echoing voice, "Since you put this effort to tell us, send us back to the hideout."

There was a short pause. "You can go back to the hideout without my assistance."

"What?" Jun snapped. "You little midget! How dare you come and go like that?"

"Once we come back, we'll be sure to kick your ass," Sai added.

"Heh," the voice replied. "I like to see you try. As for the rest of you, I look forward to seeing you in the battlefield: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rangiku Matsumoto, and...Momo Hinamori."

Upon hearing her name being called, the raven haired girl raised her head. _"I knew it; I heard that voice from somewhere before."_

"Ja ne."

_"However, whose voice does it belong to?"_

"Let's go Sai," Jun said to his ally.

After giving him a short nod, both Sai and Jun sensed a nearby presence. They looked over and noticed the Substitute Shinigami getting ready to launch an attack. "You're not getting away."

With a fierce yell, he swung his sword across and released a sword beam. However, both his opponents anticipated and used a bit of their power to dodge the assault.

"We would love to stay a little longer," Sai replied. "However, our boss wants us back at the hideout. We'll play again some other time. See you next later."

Kurosaki hissed between his teeth and quickly released another sword beam. But before it could reach his opponents, they disappeared into thin air. "Damn, they got away."

"Let's worry about that later." Ichigo glanced over to see Rangiku standing in front of an opening portal. "Let's head over to Soul Society to see what is going on."

"Alright."

After putting away his sword on his back, he leaped into the portal. Matsumoto then turned to her peer. "Hinamori, let's go."

Snapping back to reality, she looked at the tenth division lieutenant. "Ah yeah, I'm coming."

The fifth division vice-captain then put her zanpakuto back in its sheath and jumped into the portal. Before long, Rangiku did the same thing and followed her friends to Soul Society. By the time she arrived, the strawberry orange haired Soul Reaper found Momo and Ichigo standing at the edge of a nearby hill. She walked up to them and asked, "How is it?"

"See for yourself," Kurosaki replied.

Once she took a glance, her eyes widened upon astonishment. The once peaceful Soul Society has suddenly turned into ruins. "No way, what in the world happened here?"

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

**_Taicho_** - Captain,_** Nii-sama**_ - Older Brother, _**Reiatsu** _- Spiritual Pressure,_** Zanpakuto** _- Soul Cutter, _**Shinigami** _- Soul Reaper, _**Baka** _- Stupid/Idiot,_** Fukutaicho**_ - Lieutenant/Vice-Captain,_** Yare yare** _- Well well, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye _(informal/casual)_

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yeah, what in the world happened in Soul Society? Is everyone alright? What exactly their enemies are up to? Stay tuned and find out in the next chapter. Please review! Thanks.


	4. Unforgettable

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update! Thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers:** Hitsuhina fanatic, icyangel27, UnbelievableAnimeFreak, squirtlepokemon215, TUranzaRE711, anishirou, **and** ProGinger27. **

In the previous chapter, Shin and his seven allies broke into Seireitei after defeating all the four gatekeepers and engaged in combat with members of the Gotei 13. Meanwhile in Karakura Town, Hinamori, Matsumoto, and Ichigo fight against the two mysterious people. After a verbal interference with one of their allies, Jun and Sai stopped their attacks and fled. Ichigo initially wanted to chase them. However, they have other important matters to look after. The three Soul Reapers went to Soul Society to find the place in ruins.

What is going to happen next? Read and find out! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Dreaming _or_ Flashback.  
_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Three**: Unforgettable

"I don't believe it," Hinamori said. "How is a single group able to do this much damage in such a short period of time?"

"We can only conclude that they're at least just as powerful as we are," Matsumoto replied.

Suddenly, the Substitute Shinigami began walking deeper into Seireitei. "Let's hope that everyone isn't too badly hurt."

The two females looked at one another and nodded with agreement. They turned their attention to the front and followed the orange haired Soul Reaper's lead. During this time, Momo tilted her head forward and began thinking about the voice she and the others heard while they were in Karakura Town. After all this time, she still couldn't recognize the familiar voice it belongs to. She closed her chocolate brown eyes and let out a soft sigh. _"Oh well, maybe it will come to me later."_

"Rukia!" The raven haired girl reopened her eyes and raised her head to see her fellow allies from the other divisions. Along with Matsumoto and Kurosaki, she quickened her walking pace to meet with them. Once the old friends reunited, they found the members of the Gotei 13 to be covered with light to moderate level injuries. "Renji! Byakuya!"

"Ichigo," the thirteenth division lieutenant asked as she slowly got on her feet. "W-What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Rangiku explained. "What exactly happened here?"

"We were under attack by a group of enemies," Abarai explained while he sat up. The red headed vice-captain placed his left hand over the open wound on his right shoulder. He hissed between his teeth. "Damn it."

The black haired female nodded with agreement. "We were left with many damaged buildings and casualties. Amongst those who were hurt is Yamamoto-soitaicho-dono."

Informed by the sudden news, their eyes widened upon astonishment. Matsumoto asked, "No way, soitaicho's hurt too?"

It is when the sixth division captain took a step forward to get everyone's attention. It is when Ichigo, Rangiku, and Momo became aware of the injuries on the side of his head and stomach. Captain Kuchiki said, "According to Unohana, the man leading the invasion is the one responsible for putting him in critical condition. His name is Shin."

"Shin, huh?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Upon hearing the additional voice, the Soul Reapers turned to see two elderly captains standing in their presence. One of them has long white hair while the other is wearing a straw hat on top of his tied up brown hair. Despite the condition of his clothes, the eighth division captain sustained only light injuries. Rukia exclaimed, "Ukitake-taicho! Kyoraku-taicho!"

"Apparently, he was Genryusai-sensei's old friend," Jushiro explained. "However, he was exiled from Soul Society a long time ago because he rebelled against Genryusai-sensei's idea of forming the Gotei 13."

"Forming the Gotei 13?" Rangiku asked. "Then, this whole conspiracy occurred over something that happened over two thousand years ago!"

"Yup, that's right," Shunsui replied. "After so long, he came back for vengeance on the Gotei 13 and steal the oken."

"What will Shin do once he attains the key?" Momo asked.

"He plans to rule Soul Society."

"By the way..." Heads turned to Byakuya Kuchiki. "Why are you here, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"We let him come with us, Kuchiki-taicho," Matsumoto explained. "A while ago, we were attacked by two mysterious people."

"Eh, you were attacked too?" Ukitake questioned.

Hinamori nodded with agreement and replied, "They wore clothing that seemed similar to what the Rukongai citizens would wear."

"In that case, we're on the same page."

Rangiku blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Before he was sent to Unohana's care in the Fourth Division, Yama-jii told us that Shin will eliminate us with his thirteen followers," Kyoraku said.

"Thirteen followers?"

Jushiro nodded his head. "Yes, they're not just any ordinary people; they have powers just like us."

Momo suggested, "They must have been trained by Shin."

"That's what we believe as well," Kyoraku replied. "It is also possible that they have yet to show their true strength."

"What should we do?" Matsumoto asked.

"For now, we need to build up our defenses and heal the injured," Ukitake replied. "It is only a matter of time Shin and his army will come back to attack us."

* * *

A pair of large doors slowly opened. Upon hearing the noise, heads turned to face the light and the two silhouettes that just entered the hideout. "You guys look like you had fun."

After closing the door behind them, they turned their attention to one of females in the group. Jun folded his arm over his chest and replied, "It was interesting until a certain someone interrupted."

Suddenly, they began glaring at the black cloaked person who is sitting not too far away from their leader. Underneath the hood over his head, they could see the dark framed glasses he's wearing. He simply replied, "Like I said before, Shin-san asked me to call you back here. If you have any complaints, why don't you ask him yourselves?"

It is when everyone heard a childish giggle. "They don't need to ask him; I can answer that question. Shin-sama sent you out to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki and delay him from getting to Soul Society. In meantime, Shin-sama and the others gave the Gotei 13 a little preview of what is going to happen."

"Yes, that's correct Angel," Shin replied. "Besides, they didn't expect our arrival in the first place."

"You're way too kind, Shin-san," Ryoga said. "A Shinigami's role is to be ready to engage in combat at any moment when there are threats."

"That's true."

"So, when are we going to attack them again?" Tetsuya asked.

"We'll strike again soon enough," Shin replied. "First, we have some business to take care of."

Miyu suddenly hissed between her teeth. "That's no fun. When are you going to be done?"

"I'll be done soon enough." The elderly leader slowly got up from his seat and began walking towards the door. "Come with me: Eriko, Sai, Kotaru, and Hibiki. I need your assistance."

"Eh?" As a few of her allies left their seats to follow Shin, Angel asked, "What about the rest of us?"

Shin stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder to see the remaining eight followers. "The rest of you can relax until our return."

With that said, he and his group suddenly disappeared from sight. Their hooded ally let out a soft sigh and looked over to the side. "Somebody stop them befor-"

All of a sudden, everyone heard a shattering sound.

"Never mind; they went out using the windows as an exit."

"Again?" Miyu complained. "Why can't they act like normal people for once?"

"Just watching Shin-san exit like that is just plain weird," their ally, Seto replied. "He's trying too hard to be cool. He should consider his age."

"If he heard that, you'll be punished," Tetsuya said.

Soon, a few of them let out a small chuckle. With the support of her arms, Angel leaned back on her seat and sighed with defeat. "Just waiting for Shin-sama to come back is BO-RING! Isn't there something we can do?"

Jun got up from his seat and walked up to his black hooded ally. He gripped his hands into fists which resulted in his long claws to appear. "Well, I'm going to spend my time kicking this midget's ass as promised."

He threw a fist at the shorter figure. However, the glasses wearing person noticed the move and acted accordingly. He jumped out of the way and dodged the attack that sliced the two layered boxes in half. Once he landed on his feet, he felt his hood fall down to his shoulders. With his right hand, he quickly put it back over his head.

As she watched the scene, the pink haired female frowned. She looked over to see the cloaked person is opening the door. Angel said, "You should stop wearing that cloak and glasses. I want to see you, cutie."

He stopped for a moment to look back at her. Then, he resumed his attention to the front and began walking out the door. "Hey, where are you going?"

Ignoring Jun's voice, the cloaked figure left the hideout occupied by the remaining six allies and shut the door behind him. The claw wielding user hissed between his teeth and walked back to his seat. After sitting down, he complained, "He's the only one in the group that gets to do wherever he wants."

Angel placed a hand on the side of her cheek and giggled. "Yeah, but he'll be back soon enough. Besides, he never comes back empty handed without some information, a hostage, or something of the sort."

There was a short pause. Leon suddenly asked, "How long you think it will take for him to come back?"

"Who knows," Miyu replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "He can take as long as three days before he comes back to the hideout."

* * *

Momo Hinamori opened the slide door to find the office a mess. Bottles and jugs of sake were scattered all over the place as if a typhoon just passed. In the middle of it all is the tenth division lieutenant, who is sleeping on the sofa. Hinamori sighed with defeat and walked up to the sleeping female. "Rangiku-san, you should tidy this place."

Matsumoto let out a grunt and slowly opened her eyes to see the fifth division lieutenant in her presence. She took a moment to stretch her arms and legs. "I'll clean up a little later."

"What will your captain say if he were to see this now?"

"I can answer that question." The strawberry orange haired woman immediately sat up. The two vice-captains looked over to see a tall figure at the door. Dressed in his uniform and sleeveless haori, the black haired captain with dark violet eyes walked into the room. "Rangiku, didn't I tell you to clean up this mess last night?"

He walked past the two females to take a seat behind his desk. Rangiku said, "Ah taicho, you've already recovered from your injuries?"

The tenth division captain placed his hands together behind his head as he leaned back against his seat. "Hn, I mostly recovered. I just can't stand staying in the fourth for a long time."

Matsumoto placed a hand over her mouth to suppress a snort. "That is so like you."

He looked over at the raven haired girl to give her a sweet smile. "Hey Hinamori, how are you doing these days?"

Momo smiled back. "I'm doing fine; I'm glad to see that you're doing well too."

As she watched the two Soul Reapers talk, Rangiku suddenly let out a grin. Though he doesn't show it, she could tell that her captain has an interest in the fifth division lieutenant. "Hey, don't make that face."

"What?" Matsumoto asked. "I'm not making any face, Captain."

He gave her a stern look.

Momo blinked. "Is there something wrong, Yoru-taicho?"

Just as he is about to say something, Yoru noticed a Hell Butterfly flutter into the room. He extended a finger out so that the insect can land and transmit its message. Seconds later, the joyful expression on his face suddenly turned into one of seriousness. He looked at his vice-captain and instructed, "Rangiku, acting Captain Commander Ukitake requests that you two head over to Junrin'an to investigate the strange spiritual activity that is going on there."

As if her heart suddenly skipped a beat, the peach girl placed a hand over her chest. _"Junrin'an."_

She took a step forward, getting the black haired captain's attention.

"Yoru-taicho, I wish to join the investigation as well."

Surprised, the male captain asked, "Eh, why?"

Hinamori tilted her head forward, looking down at her feet. "I'm worried about Obaa-san."

Yoru scratched the side of his head. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot; you used to live there."

She simply nodded her head.

The dark violet eyed Soul Reaper folded his arms, contemplating whether he should grant her permission. After a brief moment, he sighed with defeat. "Alright, you can join Rangiku."

Suddenly, Momo raised her head to show the bright smile on her face. "Arigato Yoru-taicho!"

He smiled back. "You're welcome."

"I'll head back to my division to pick up my zanpakuto and inform Hirako-taicho." She turned to her peer. "I'll meet you at the West Gate?"

The strawberry orange haired female nodded. "I'll see you then."

"See you."

With that said, the raven haired girl left the two tenth division officers behind. Once she is gone, Matsumoto immediately turned to her captain and asked, "So, when are you going to tell her?"

"I'll do it soon," Yoru replied.

"Well, you better do it as soon as possible before she gets taken away."

The tall captain rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I know for a fact that there's no one in the whole Gotei 13 that likes Hinamori other than me."

All of a sudden, the busty vice-captain appeared at his side to give him an arm nudge. She grinned with amusement. "Hn, you've already looked in on the gossip."

A grin appeared on his face, playing along with her antics. "I sure have."

Rangiku giggled. "I better get moving or else Hinamori will be waiting on me."

She raised a hand to wave farewell.

"I'll be back soon."

Without another moment to waste, the strawberry orange haired female disappeared from sight. After a few moments of silence, the black haired captain stood up from his seat and walked over to the tall window. He watched the scenery for a few minutes before he turned around and walked back to his desk. He has some reports to write. _"It's only a matter of time...until he's caught."_

* * *

"So Hinamori," Matsumoto asked the fifth division lieutenant, who is busy staring at the scenery in front, as they walked through the streets of West District One. "How should we go about with our investigation?"

"If it's okay with you, we'll investigate by splitting up for a bit." She turned to the older Soul Reaper. "That way, we can cover more ground."

"Alright then, but don't do anything reckless if things get too dangerous."

Momo nodded with agreement. "Okay, I'll go check things out in the western part of the district. Rangiku-san, you take care of the east."

She gave the younger Shinigami a thumb up. "You got it!"

With that said, she used flash step and disappeared from sight. Hinamori then let a sigh and looked in the general direction where she used to live with Obaa-san. Just thinking about the elderly woman, memories of an old friend also surfaced in her thoughts. It felt like it was yesterday when they ate watermelon slices together on the porch as they watched the sunset. Momo suddenly let out a soft nostalgic smile. "I might as well pay him a visit since I'm here."

She began walking in a different direction. After a few minutes of traveling by foot, she arrived at a remote field filled with many elevated patches of dirt. Up ahead, she noticed a lone figure standing in front of one of the higher patches of dirt. Coincidentally, it is the very same one she came to see: the grave where her friend's body was buried.

Though she couldn't make out his or her face because of the black hood draped over its head, she could tell that he's a male by looking at his physical structure. Curious, she walked up to the person. Once she got close, the raven haired girl realized that the person is around her height. He's only about a few inches taller. Wondering who he is, she asked, "Are you Shiro-chan's friend?"

The figure remained quiet enough for them to hear the gentle breeze blowing past them. For a moment, he didn't speak until he suddenly raised his head for her to notice the outline of his black framed glasses. He raised a fist over his mouth and coughed a few times. Then, he replied, "Something like that."

At first, she thought his voice sounded a bit odd. However, it didn't take long for her to brush the thought aside. _"He probably has a sore throat." _

Momo turned her attention to the front and take a moment to place her hands together. She closed her eyes and said a small prayer, aware that the cloaked person is probably closely watching.

"I miss him too. He was a great friend." She opened her eyes and let out a soft smile. "We used to live together."

She paused.

"I wish...I could do more for him especially in his last moments." After taking another quick glance at the fifth division lieutenant, he noticed the welling up tears in her eyes. Hinamori raised a finger and wiped them away. "Then again, I was too young and powerless at the time. If I didn't bring him shopping with me, he would have still been alive today."

Again, she took a moment to brush her emotional tears aside.

"However, there's no use changing the past now. We just have to do our best to live a great life for their sak-"

All of a sudden, she turned her body to the side. Picking up the strange presence nearby, she began scanning the area for anything out of place. She placed her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto, ready to draw it at any moment.

"You should run and hide somewhere safe," the fifth division lieutenant suggested to him. "I have a feeling that this place is going to turn into a battlefield."

As he watched the Soul Reaper walk in front of him, he slowly raised his right hand up and extended it out. After a brief moment, his body became shrouded in a mysterious light blue aura.

Momo suddenly stiffened. Realizing that the presence is coming from the person she just met, she slowly turned around to look beyond his framed glasses and stare into his icy cold eyes. Hinamori gasped. But before she could defend, his hand was placed over her face. Seconds later, she felt the sudden need to close her eyes. She tried to stay awake, but she was fighting a losing battle. She soon lost consciousness.

Noticing that she is tipping over, he extended his left arm out and waited for her body to lie on top. Once he stopped her fall, the hooded male raised his right hand at the grave in front and began firing spheres of spiritual energy. Then, he extended his hand off to the side and fired at the surrounding structures and trees. Before long, he ceased his attack and put his hand down. As he watched the smoke clear, he heard a voice, "Stop right there!"

The dark hooded male glanced over to see the strawberry orange haired Soul Reaper in his presence. He looked down to see that she is ready to draw her sword at any moment. He raised his head once more to read her determine filled eyes.

"Let go of Hinamori!"

He lowered his head to hide his eyes. In exchange, he revealed a grin on his lips. He answered, "No."

He quickly raised the palm of his hand and fired a ball of spiritual energy at her face. However, the tenth division lieutenant drew her zanpakuto and blocked against the attack. By the time she looked at her opponent again, he already disappeared from sight. Rangiku hissed between her teeth. "Damn, I lost him and he took Hinamor-"

Matsumoto blinked. Once the smoke cleared, she noticed the damaged he caused in the area: trees were cut down, small structures were destroyed, and a single blasted grave.

Her eyes narrowed with seriousness. _"He's definitely no ordinary person; there's no doubt about it. He must be one of those people working for Shin."_

* * *

_She opened her eyes to find herself staring at the ceiling. "W-What happened?"_

_"You had a fever, stupid."_

_Recognizing the voice, she looked over to see her white haired friend sitting next to her bed side. As she quickly sat up, the cloth on her forehead fell on her lap. She pouted, "Mou, I'm not stupi-"_

_All of a sudden, she felt light headed and began swaying. Realizing what is happening to her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward to rest on his shoulder. _

_Feeling the warmth of his body, Momo blinked a couple of times before she raised her head to see his frowning face. She hesitantly laughed, knowing too well that he's going to scold her. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke until he sighed with defeat. "That's what you get for rescuing that cat from drowning in the river. I even warned you not to do that."_

_She smiled. "Thanks for taking care of me, Shiro-chan."_

_The younger child turned his head to the side and muttered, "J-Just be more careful next time."_

_"I will."_

* * *

Momo groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Once her vision became clear, the first thing she noticed are the presence of two unfamiliar faces. She quickly sat up and gasped. The dark haired female grinned. "Well, look who finally woke up."

"Rise and shine," the male beside her said, "Shinigami."

She looked around to see that she is completely surrounded by people of their kind. Then, she spotted a certain young male she encountered a while ago in Karakura Town. "I-I remember you! Then, the rest of you are...a part of Shin's army!"

Jun grinned. "That's right. It's nice to meet you."

Without any warning, Ryoga pointed the tip of his bladed weapon at the lieutenant. Momo used her hands to shift a few steps back. "Let's kill her."

"I agree."

Hinamori bit the bottom of her lip, trying to come up with a solution to escape. However, she doesn't have a lot of options. Not only she got her zanpakuto taken away, but her arms are bonded together in a strong binding spell. "How about no?"

Recognizing the voice, she and a few heads turned their attention to the black cloaked person sitting on the side. _"I-It's that person I saw at the grave. So, this is real voice."_

Suddenly, a thought came into mind.

_"Wait a minute; it's the same voice I heard back at Karakura Town."_

"Hah, why can't we?" Ryoga complained.

"She is an asset to us."

"I don't care about her being an asset or not," he snapped. "I want to kill her already! Besides, it's their fault for letting us die in the first place!"

_"Die?"_ Hinamori blinked. _"They've all died before?"_

Without any warning, a pair of hands pulled down the cloak person's hood and snatches his glasses from his previously hidden face. At that moment, Momo's eyes widened with astonishment. "Hey Angel, what the hell was that for?"

_"Those emerald-teal eyes..."_

The pink haired female raised her free hand up to the side of her face and giggled. "There's no need for you to hide your gorgeous looks. You look fine the way you are, cutie."

_"...and snowy white hair."_

With a growl of frustration, the young male grabbed the glasses from her hand. "Give me that! I stand out in the crowd, that's why."

_"I recognize them anywhere."_ She finally opened her mouth. "No way..."

Upon hearing her, heads turned to the raven haired Soul Reaper.

"You're...Toshiro Hitsugaya."

* * *

**Japanese Word Translations**

**_Shinigami_** - Soul Reaper, _**Soitaicho**_ - Captain Commander, _**Oken**_ - Spirit Key, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Haori** _- a kimono jacket, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Zanpakuto**_ - Soul Cutter

* * *

**Author's Note**: After three long chapters, Toshiro has finally reappeared in the story. However, he is on the enemy's side. What in the world is going on? Well, you just have to stay tuned and find out in the next chapter. Please review! Thanks. _  
_


	5. Feeling Nostalgic

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series and its characters goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update! I would like to take the time to thank everyone for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers:** icedragonpeach, becomeafan, Hitsuhina fanatic, TUranzaRE711, skylark dragonstar, OMG, icyangel27, Moonblossom15, xXxMusicNCookiesxXx, **and** HurryAndUpdate.  
**

In the last chapter, Ichigo, Momo, and Rangiku met up with several of their allies to find out some shocking news. Shin, Yamamoto's old friend and exiled Soul Reaper, and his army has threatened to steal the Spirit Key and rule over Soul Society. After some deliberation, the Substitute Shinigami and friends also found out that the enemies who attacked them in Karakura Town are most likely working for the same enemy. A few days later, Tenth Division Captain Yoru orders Matsumoto and Hinamori to investigate some strange occurrence in Junrin'an. While the two females split up, Momo came to visit her childhood friend's grave only to be ambushed by a mysterious cloak person. By the time she woke up from forced sleep, she found herself in the middle of the enemy's hideout. Then, with the fate of destiny blessed upon her, she met with the one person she never expected to see again: her childhood friend, Toshiro Hitsugaya.

What is going to find out? Read and find out. Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Four: **Feeling Nostalgic

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Miyu said as she placed a hand on her chin. Curious, the female further added, "It seems like this Shinigami knows Toshiro."

"It's because they used to live somewhere close by many years ago when he was still alive," Jun speculated.

Ryoga glanced at the white haired male and asked, "Do you know her?"

At first, Hitsugaya didn't answer his question. He was too busy watching the fifth division lieutenant. Then, his eyes focused on Ryoga and the remaining allies and finally replied, "No, she's lying. I don't recall ever meeting her before."

Momo's eyes widened with disbelief. Not only she never expected him to come back into her life, she couldn't believe he say such words.

"She's only saying that to get us to fight amongst one another."

"That's true," Seto agreed. "We are a threat to them for the damage we did three days ago."

"I don't see the reason for us to spare her life," Ryoga said. "Why can't we just kill the Shinigami, Toshiro?"

"That's because we need her," said a voice, "for our next move on the Gotei 13."

Upon hearing the voice, everyone looked to the side to see their leader and four allies enter the hideout. "Shin-san, you've returned."

The elderly man stopped in the middle of the group and replied, "Yes, I have."

He then turned his attention to his young white haired follower.

"I trust you will carry it out as planned, Toshiro."

"Yes sir." At that moment, he quickly raised two fingers and fired a rope of spiral spiritual energy at Hinamori. "Horin!"

Unable to get away, her arms were bind together to her sides. With a single tug, she was pulled towards him. Their soft eyes met with his icy cold ones. "Shir-"

"You're coming with me."

He turned around and began walking towards the door. Hitsugaya raised his right hand and tugged on the binding spell once more to force his hostage to follow. Then, he extended his left hand out to the side.

"Angel, can you pass me her sword?" The pink haired girl looked over to see Momo's zanpakuto and sheath resting against Toshiro's seat. With a bright smile on her face, she grabbed the sheath and tossed it in his direction. After catching the sword, he rested the bladed weapon on his shoulder and said, "Arigato."

She winked. "It's no problem. In return, let's go on a date after you co-"

"Talk to me later," Hitsugaya interrupted. "I'm busy."

With that said, the white haired male left the hideout with the raven haired Soul Reaper. Once they are gone, the other allies turned to their leader. One of them suddenly complained, "Why do you let him do whatever he wants, Shin-san?"

"It's because he's the first amongst all of us to be brought back from the dead," Jun replied as he folded his arms, "and he has the most loyalty to you."

A grin appeared on Shin's face. "That's part of the reason. Let's just say that Toshiro's too smart to do something stupid."

* * *

**Momo's Point of View**

As we are walking out of the hideout, I was busy watching Shiro-chan. Though I was happy to see him again, I still couldn't believe he is on the enemy's side. Why is he working for them? Does it have to do with him not remembering me? I lowered my head, feeling frustrated and confused. There were too many questions that were unanswered. I need to know this instant! I suddenly stopped walking and waited for his reaction.

Before long, he too did the same thing. He asked, "Why did you stop walking?"

He raised his right hand up to show he's still holding onto the rope of spiritual energy. Just as he is about to tug on it, I asked, "Have you really forgotten me and all the times we've been through together?"

Then, he turned his body to one side. Soon, my attention was focused on his emerald-teal eyes; the very same eyes that I have seen countless of times before his death. In response to his silence, I further questioned him.

"What about the times when we often go buy groceries for Obaa-san or eat watermelon slices in front of the sunset?" Again, he didn't answer. At that moment, I began thinking of the worse. Did Shin and his army did something to make Shiro-chan forget? If so, is there no way to stop and bring him back to normal? "What about the times when you always find me whenever I'm lost or when I took care of you when you were sick?"

_"No, please let it be a lie!"_

Tears began swelling in my eyes. Tired of hearing the same response, I began shouting from the top of my lungs, "Don't my words mean anything to you? Answer me, Shiro-chan!"

Without any warning, he closely got in front of me. He placed his left hand on my shoulder and pushed me all the way until my back met with something hard. Whatever it may be, I soon resumed my attention to the front to see his icy cold eyes. The pain he inflicted hurts so much that it felt like he literally grabbed a knife and stabbed me in the heart. I closed my eyes, trying to fight back the falling tears. However, they keep coming out.

"Shiro-chan, huh?"

Immediately, I opened my eyes and slowly raised my head. He is finally going to answer all the unanswered questions I've asked. He placed his free hand on my shoulder and leaned over to my left side.

He whispered in my ear, "When was the last time I was called by that stupid nickname?"

His cool voice sent chills down my spine. As a result, my heart began racing and pounding against my chest to the familiar words I wanted to hear the most. They are the very same words the Shiro-chan I remembered would always say.

"Too long, Bed-Wetter Momo."

Hearing those nostalgic words, made me feel as if I was released from suffocation; I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief. After all this time, he still remembers me. Tears of joy began rolling down my cheeks. _"Thank goodness. Thank goodness. Thank goodness..."_

Suddenly, a thought came into mind causing my overflowing emotions to stop. When he was talking to his allies earlier, he said that he doesn't remember her. Does that mean he was lying to them or is he lying to me?

At that moment, Shiro-chan pulled away. As we looked at one another, I tried to read the expression in his eyes. Though they were as cold as ice, the tingling feeling in my heart believed that there was a special reason for him to act this way. However, these are one of those times where I don't want him to play ring around the rosie with me. I want him to be straightforward and tell me what exactly is going on for once.

* * *

**Normal Point of View**

"Shiro-chan, w-what is going o-"

All of a sudden, Hitsugaya placed his hand over Hinamori's face. Realizing what is going to happen, Momo struggled to break free from the binding spell. However, she is helpless to his actions. In a matter of seconds, her body began to feel drained. The colour in her eyes suddenly dulled. Before long, she closed her eyes and lost consciousness. As a result, her body began to fall like a puppet who had its strings cut off. Instead of collapsing to the ground, she ended up leaning against Toshiro's shoulder.

After a brief moment of silence, the white haired male placed a hand on her shoulder blade to support the sleeping female. With his glowing emerald-teal eyes hidden underneath his bangs, Hitsugaya lifted Hinamori on his shoulder and disappeared from sight.

* * *

"Look at this place," Rukia said. "It's in ruins."

The tenth division lieutenant nodded with agreement. "The person who did all this is quite powerful."

"It is almost hard to believe that this mess is caused by a single person from Shin's army," Renji replied before turning his focus to the Substitute Shinigami.

Kurosaki walked over to a broken tree and placed his hand on the tree trunk. Then, he turned his attention to the two captains who came along with them: Shinji Hirako and Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

As the twelfth division captain took a handful of soil and slowly spilled them on the ground, the Visord said, "There is no sign of any resistance from Momo."

"Then, does that mean she was ambushed by the culprit?" Rukia asked.

Shinji glanced at the thirteenth division lieutenant. "That's quite possible."

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Everyone turned their attention to Kurotsuchi. "Though the culprit did considerable damage to the area, he only destroyed one grave."

Matsumoto nodded her head. "The grave owner's loved ones will be upset if they were to find out about this."

"Why isn't there any tombstone for him?" Ichigo asked.

"The loved ones who buried him couldn't afford to buy one at the time of his death," Renji replied. "It usually happens here in Rukongai."

"That is true," Kurostuchi agreed. "However, they failed to realize something peculiar about it."

"Eh, what are you talking about?" Matsumoto asked.

"There isn't any indication that a body is currently resting in there."

There was a short pause. "Wait a minute; are you trying to tell us that somebody previously unburied this grave and took this dead person's remains?"

"Yes, I believe that's exactly what happened," Kurotsuchi explained. "Besides, the soil composition didn't contain high levels of organic material you would typically find in a dead man's dirt."

"Kurotsuchi," Hirako said. "I'm pretty sure you're aware of this by now. According to our senses, we felt Momo's strong spiritual pressure right in front of this grave."

"She's been here a few times already."

At that moment, a thought came into mind. Renji took a step forward and said, "Back when we were still in the academy, I remember she used to take a day off from class every year. Kira told me it's about visiting a good friend who passed away after trying to save her life from a group of Hollows."

"Oh yeah, she told me about that too," Rangiku agreed. "She said that they used to live together here in Junrin'an."

"Hn, has she ever told you his name?" Mayuri asked.

The tenth division lieutenant shook her head. "Unfortunately, she did not."

Suddenly, a grin appeared on the twelfth division captain's face. "Well, this is interesting. Something tells me that this case might be deeper than we initially thought. If we're lucky, this discovery will be related to Shin and his army."

At that moment, another Soul Reaper appeared in the middle of the group. She got down on one knee and said, "Mayuri-sama, I have urgent news."

The scientist growled with frustration and turned to his robotic daughter. "Fine, hurry up and spit it out."

"According to Akon-san, there is some spiritual activity going on in Karakura Town," Nemu explained. "It contains similar readings to the ones he detected when Shin and his army invaded Seireitei."

Upon hearing the sudden news, Kurosaki's eyes widened. Knowing that the enemy is quite strong, there is a possibility that his friends are in danger. He exclaimed, "We have to get back before they hurt everyone there!"

Hirako turned his attention to the twelfth division captain. "Hey Kurostuchi, set up a portal to the living world for them to go through."

Mayuri shot him a glare. "Don't order me around, Visord. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

With a gentle breeze blowing in the air, Toshiro Hitsugaya stood on top of a three story building. Though his eyes are focused on the humans below walking through the streets, he is also keeping an eye on the sleeping fifth division lieutenant (who is leaning against a fence nearby). If she regained her conscious, there is a chance that she may ambush him.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Yo."

Sensing the nearby presence, he slowly turned his body to one side to see a tall gray haired man dressed in a black kimono and a white sleeveless haori. The grinning male raised his sword to one side before his blade suddenly extended out in his direction.

Hitsugaya quickly evaded to the side before running towards his opponent. He raised his right hand and grabbed onto his sword's hilt which is on his back. Then, he drew his long bladed weapon and thrust it up to his chin. His opponent raised his head a bit, knowing too well that he's only going to exchange greetings with him. "I can see you have Hinamori-chan as your hostage; release her."

The white haired male lowered his head to hide his eyes under his bangs. He suddenly let out a grin and replied, "Try and take her away from me, former Third Division Captain: Gin Ichimaru."

As a result of his response, Gin grinned with amusement. Though they've only exchanged a few words, he already knew his young opponent is quite intelligent as proven when he mentioned about his former title. In addition, the former captain was interested in his enemy's fighting capabilities. "Fine then; I will."

Seconds later, their blades clashed against one another.

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

**_Shinigami_** - Soul Reaper,_** Zanpakuto** _- Soul Cutter, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Obaa-san** _- Grandmother

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hn, it seems that Toshiro does remember his childhood friend. However, was all that just an act to get Momo to put her guard down or was it the sincere truth? What discoveries Kurotsuchi will unfold from the information he collected from the grave site? Will Ichigo and the others arrive at Karakura Town on time to assist Gin? There's only one way to find out; stay tuned for my next update. Please review and answer the new poll question that is posted on my profile page! Thanks.


	6. So Difficult

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Happy Halloween everyone! Have you guys been keeping busy with school, reading the latest Bleach Manga chapters, and all the other good stuff? I know I have. Now, it's time for me to update this story. Yay! Thank you for all your patience especially** becomeafan, skylark dragonstar, TUranzaRE711, OMG, icyangel27, toshirolovehim, icedragonpeach, hitsuhina forever bestcouple, Reader-Favs, **and** Misguided Shinigami. **Thank you for all your support!

In the previous chapter, Toshiro takes Momo away from Shin and his allies with the expectation of dealing with her. Using this opportunity, Hinamori asks if he remembers anything that happened before his death. However, he didn't answer. Unwilling to give in, she kept asking until she is about to broke down into tears. By then, he finally gave her a hopeful answer before knocking her out.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and the others investigate the grave site Momo visited for any clues of her whereabouts. They managed to find out that Toshiro's body was unburied hours or days after his death. As Captain Kurotsuchi is looking into this, the others head to the living world to investigate some spiritual activity that is similar to the ones they felt when Shin and his army attacked Seireitei.

Back with Toshiro, he took Momo to a building rooftop somewhere in Karakura Town where he is soon confronted by the former third division captain of the Gotei 13: Gin Ichimaru.

What is going to happen next? Well, read and find out!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **Short Flash Back. **_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Five**: So Difficult

Both combatants jumped back, creating some distance between each other. However, it didn't take long for the former third division captain to take initiative and strike first. He quickly got in front of his young opponent and thrust his zanpakuto towards his face. However, Hitsugaya evaded to the side causing Gin to miss. As a result, a grin appeared on Ichimaru's face, amused that he is one of the few people who is capable of standing on even ground with him. He picked up the pace and swinging his sword from different directions. Once again, his enemy dodged the attacks by moving from side to side. "What exactly are you up to?"

Toshiro moved over to his left. Gin quickly followed and swung his sword down on the young sword user. However, Hitsugaya raised his long bladed weapon above his head and blocked against the attack.

"I'm certain you're not stupid enough to risk being captured or killed by us."

With a bit of force, Toshiro pushed the exiled Soul Reaper enough to jump back. Just as Ichimaru is about to close in once more, he noticed the white haired male pointed the tip of his blade towards Momo's throat. He stopped in front of his opponent.

"So, you're resorting to cowardice."

"I don't care what you label me as," Hitsugaya finally replied. "I know very well that Hinamori's too important to lose. I won't hesitate to finish her off for good."

Gin suddenly let out a grin before he slowly opened his light blue eyes. "I like to see you try."

After a faint twitch of his eyes, the long sword user pulled the tip of his blade away from his hostage and raised it up high. He exclaimed, "Don't underestimate me!"

Just as he is about to swing his sword down on her, Hitsugaya sensed spiritual energy headed in his direction and turned his head to the side. "Hado Number 31: Shakkaho!"

Seeing the destructive spell, he quickly pulled his weapon away from the sleeping Soul Reaper and jumped back. But before he could rest, Toshiro sensed another spiritual power flying towards him. "Shakkaho!"

He noticed the second destructive spell. Instead of running away, he swung his sword at the attack and sliced it in half. The bisected spell flew past him on each side before suddenly exploding into thin air. Once he resumed his attention to Hinamori, he saw three Soul Reapers standing in front of her. He let out a soft hiss.

Knowing he must get his hostage back, the white haired swordsman moved in for a head on assault. However, an orange haired Soul Reaper appeared in front of the group. Wasting no time, he swung his large sword to release a beam of spiritual energy. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Predicting where the attack is going, Hitsugaya took a single side step at the right time to evade. Then, he placed his hands together on the hilt of his sword and clashed blades with his tall opponent. He quickly pulled back and swung his sword across. However, Ichigo managed to block that attack too. They battled for dominance, but they soon realize their strengths are evenly matched. Both combatants quickly pulled their swords away. Just as they were about to clash blades once more, Toshiro suddenly withdrew his sword and disappeared from sight.

At that moment, Kurosaki saw the upcoming blade tip headed in his direction. With no time to waste, he raised his Zangetsu up to the side of his face and shifted the extending sword off course. It pierced into the ground in front of Renji and Rukia. Rangiku shrieked. The Substitute Soul Reaper raised his head up and exclaimed, "Oi Ichimaru, watch where you aim that thing! What if it hits the others?"

"Ichigo's right!" Matsumoto snapped. "Now, come down here so that we don't have to worry about you killing us!"

As his sword's length retracted back to its original length, Gin frowned. "Fine, but I don't think my aim is that bad."

With that said, Ichimaru disappeared and reappeared at his childhood friend's side. In the meantime, the other Soul Reapers searched for their white haired opponent. By the time they sensed him, they all turned around to see him standing on top of the staircase roof structure. Rukia concluded, "He possesses a zanpakuto and he moves just like us."

Abarai nodded with agreement. "Yeah, he's definitely one of Shin's men."

"Then, his base must be somewhere around here," Ichimaru said.

"It could be," Hitsugaya replied to the Soul Reapers, "or I could be here just to throw you off."

Gin suddenly let out an amused grin. "He does have a point."

"Whose side are you on?" Matsumoto snapped.

"I'm on your side, isn't that obvious?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Suddenly, the surrounding Soul Reapers heard a soft groan. While the boys kept their eyes on their opponent, Kuchiki and Matsumoto gasped. They quickly got down on their knees to check on their sleepy ally.

"Hinamori, you're awake."

"Are you alright?" Rukia asked.

Momo's eyes fluttered, trying to get a clear view of environment she's in. "Wh-Where am I?"

But once the memories of her childhood friend surfaced in her thoughts, she let out a gasp and began looking around. Spotting the white haired male on the upper rooftop, she called out to him, "Shiro-chan!"

Suddenly, a few Soul Reapers raised a few eyebrows at her. "Shiro-chan?"

She placed her hand on the side and felt a familiar hilt. Without a moment to waste, she picked up her zanpakuto and ran in between the two opposing groups. Once she faced her allies, she extended her arms out and said, "Please don't attack him."

"But Hinamori, he's the enemy!" Renji exclaimed.

"T-There has to be some misunderstanding!" Momo said. Upon hearing that, Toshiro lowered his head to hide the expression in his eyes. He walked to the edge and jumped off the upper roof. With his zanpakuto held out to the side, he slowly walked up to his childhood friend. A grin appeared on his face. "I'm sure he would never hurt anyo-"

Seeing the danger, Matsumoto called out, "Hinamori, watch out!"

At first, she didn't understand what the tenth division lieutenant was talking about until she sensed a cold spiritual presence behind her. "Soten ni Zase..."

Her eyes widened before she glanced over her shoulder to see Toshiro about to swing his sword across. After looking directly in his icy cold eyes, Momo gasped.

"Hyorinmaru!"

Without a moment to waste, the fifth division lieutenant jumped out of Hitsugaya's attack range. The other Soul Reapers soon followed her lead and did the same. If they didn't, they would have been caught in the attack. Matsumoto looked down to check the damage he caused. She suddenly exclaimed, "W-We would have been turned into Popsicles!"

"So, he can use the power of ice," Renji said, "just like how Rukia can use the power of Sode no Shirayuki."

Kuchiki nodded with agreement. "Apparently so..."

Everyone stopped in midair. Upset for being a target, Hinamori put her sheath in between her waist and sash. Then, she raised her fists up and asked, "W-What was that for?"

Toshiro narrowed his eyes and asked his own question, "What made you think I wouldn't attack you?"

"Hinamori, we may not know what happened between you two," Abarai said, getting the female lieutenant's attention, "but it doesn't change the fact that he's one of Shin's men. We have priority to our duties; we have to defeat or capture him."

"That's right." She glanced over to see Toshiro. "You are a Shinigami while I am a member of Shin-san's army. I thought you were a little smarter than that."

"B-But..." Momo said. "Th-There's no reason for us to fight!"

"Yes, there is." The moment her eyes met with his icy cold ones, she felt a cold chill run up her spine. As a result, she fell silent. "I'm sure you heard it; the reason why we all came back to this world."

**_"I don't care about her being an asset or not. I want to kill her already! Besides, it's their fault for letting us die in the first place!"_**

_"Shiro-chan..."_ Hinamori raised her hand up and placed it over her chest. "D-Do you really want to take reven-"

All of a sudden, they saw an army of black dressed men appear and surround the white haired sword wielder. They drew their swords out, ready for battle. Recognizing them, Ichigo said, "These guys..."

"Yeah," Rukia replied. "They're from the Onmitsukido."

At that moment, a pair of Soul Reapers appeared in front of them. One of them is a large chubby man while the other is a small short haired woman.

"In other words, they're from Soi Fon-taicho's division."

Aware of their leader's presence, the subordinates in front of Hitsugaya temporarily lowered their guards and stepped aside so that he can clearly see the two elite members of the Gotei 13. The female took a step forward and exclaimed, "There's nowhere to run, Ryoka! You're a threat for being associated with the exiled Shinigami, Shin!"

As the others watched, Momo began clutching her hand onto a part of her kimono. The rekindled emotions of fear and sadness surfaced in her thoughts as she remembered holding Toshiro's hand with her dear life and the regretful look in his dying emerald-teal eyes on that faithful day.

She wanted him to survive so that she can go back to telling him all the things that she wanted to say, calling him by his nickname, and eating watermelons together as they watch the sunset. However, none of that ever happened. The torn flesh from the Hollow's last attack was enough to ooze out a lot of blood, forming a pool underneath his dying body. After minutes of losing it, fate has determined that he lost too much. As a result, his body couldn't afford to sustain his life any longer. So, it gave up and left him to die after he said his final words: her nickname.

Then, she recalled the moment she saw him again in the enemy base. She never felt so relieved and happy. It was as if some great deity have decided to give him another chance to live after watching him die so young, a miracle. Despite his claims of working for Shin and taking revenge on the Gotei 13, she believed she can bring him back from the darkest depths he has fallen into and go back to those memorable days in Junrin'an. But in order to do that, she must not let him out of her sight.

_"No, I won't lose him again."_ She took a step forward and tried to reason with the female captain. "Wait Soi Fon-taich-"

However, Toshiro interrupted the conversation. "Oh dear, it seems that I have been caught..."

Without any warning, he used flash step to get behind a few members of the punishment force and stopped in front of the second division captain and lieutenant. After resting his zanpakuto on one shoulder, he let out a small smirk on his face. Within moments, the group of assassins he approached suddenly lost consciousness and began falling to the ground below.

"...or not."

"T-That's inhuman!" Vice-Captain Marechiyo Omaeda panicked. "He knocked out our men like we're fl-"

All of a sudden, Soi Fon elbowed his gut. The large man winced in pain and clutched his stomach. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Oh shut up," she said. "Stop chickening out and do your job."

With that said, she removed her zanpakuto from its sheath and held it out to the front. After changing grip on the hilt, Soi Fon initiated a frontal assault on her white haired enemy.

On the other hand, Toshiro didn't bother to get into a battle position. He just kept his eyes on the speedy Soul Reaper like a hawk until a familiar face suddenly appeared in his sight with her arms stretched out.

"Hinamori!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"What in the world is she doing?" Renji asked. "Soi Fon-taicho's going to get angry!"

Upon seeing the raven haired lieutenant, the second division captain ceased her attack and stood in front of Momo. Frustrated, she commanded, "Move or else I'll arrest you for assisting the enemy!"

Just as Hinamori is about to reply, she notice a silver chain with a crescent moon hook wrap around and bound her arms to her body. Feeling a strong tug from behind, she yelped and was pulled back. Then, she felt something cold and sharp against her neck. Her eyes widened upon astonishment. The only person who is capable of doing this is the one standing behind her. She slowly glanced over her shoulder to see the culprit is none another than her childhood friend. "Shiro-chan."

"One wrong move and she's dead," Hitsugaya said to the commander in-chief of the Onmitsukido.

The expression on Soi Fon's face turned serious. "Why should I even listen to you?"

"Because she knows a few things," he explained, "about me and my allies, Shin, and...the location of our hideout."

"In other words, she has valuable information about our enemies," Renji speculated.

"Yes, but he didn't need to say those things," Rukia pointed out. "We could have found out ourselves."

"It's because he's confident enough to escape us with Hinamori as his hostage," Matsumoto replied. Then, she turned her attention to the former third division captain. "Isn't that right, Gin?"

However, the gray haired male is too busy focusing on his white haired enemy. Rangiku's expression suddenly turned serious. Knowing her childhood friend, something about the white haired enemy caught his interest. So, she went back to watching the situation below.

Hitsugaya took quick glances to his left and right as he watched the remaining members of the punishment force closely looking for any openings he made. "Shiro-chan."

He turned his attention to his hostage.

"Are you really serious abo-"

Suddenly, he pulled on the end of his sword's chain and tightened it around Hinamori. Feeling the constriction, she closed an eye and winced in pain.

"Itte," she cried. "T-That...hurts."

"Of course, it hurts," he replied coldly in her ear, sending chills down her spine. "I suggest you to behave or else I have to turn you into extra bagga-"

At that moment, he stopped talking in the middle of his sentence. Sensing a strong presence from behind, he quickly glanced over his shoulder. But before he could see them, Toshiro felt a strong impact against the back of his neck. As a result, he lost grip on his sword and blacked out.

When she heard a cling noise and felt the constraint chain loosen, Momo looked over her shoulder to see her childhood friend collapse. Her eyes widened. Because she was in the way, she broke his fall by allowing the unconscious male rest against her body. As she watched him sleep, the fifth division lieutenant began comparing him to the same young boy she used to live with.

_"Shiro-chan, why?"_

Seeing that the matter has been settled, Ichigo and the sent allies from the Gotei 13 joined Momo, the second division, and their saviours.

"Phew," said the long haired female. "Thank goodness we managed to stop this battle on a pleasant note."

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon exclaimed.

Shihoin placed a hand on her hip. She let out a cunning smile. "Hey Soi Fon, I hope you don't mind Kisuke and I interfering."

The second division captain blushed. "O-Of course not!"

"Are you alright, Hinamori-fukutaicho?"

After she pulled the chain down to the ground and stepped away from it, the peach girl looked over to see the former twelfth division captain in her presence. She slowly nodded with agreement. "Ah yeah..."

"That's good."

"Hinamori." Hearing her friends, she glanced over to see Rangiku, Renji, Rukia, Gin, and Ichigo. Matsumoto asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

She let out a small smile and replied, "I'm alright."

"We're taking him into custody, Kisuke Urahara." Upon hearing what Captain Soi Fon said, Momo looked over to see the two elite fighters conversing with one another. "We need him to tell us everything."

There was a brief moment of silence from the striped hat man as he stared at his former co-worker. Once he placed a hand on his hat and tilted it forward, he replied, "Alright then; I'll leave it to you."

After speaking with her former superior, Soi Fon gave a silent nod to her subordinates. Knowing exactly what their captain expected them to do, they walked over to Momo. One of them raised two fingers up and began chanting a spell.

Realizing that they're planning to take her childhood friend away, Hinamori tried to reason with them. "Wait a mi-"

"Momo Hinamori," the female captain said, confronting the younger Soul Reaper. "I suggest you to remember your place in the Gotei 13. Do you understand?"

Hinamori lowered her head, knowing too well that she is only digging herself a hole. After all, her affliction with the Gotei 13 is in jeopardy after she tried to defend Hitsugaya. "Yes ma'am."

"Good." With that said, she stepped aside for her subordinates to finish their assigned task. "Arrest him."

Once again, they approached the fifth division lieutenant. This time, Hinamori willingly allowed them to constrain him in a binding spell and take Hitsugaya away. While one of them picked up his zanpakuto, another pierced his sword into thin air and turned it forty-five degrees clockwise. As a result, a pair of sliding doors appeared. Once the doors slid open, several Hell Butterflies came fluttering out.

As Soi Fon took the lead, she passed by Ichigo and the others. With a quick glance at them, she said, "As for the rest of you, the warning also applies."

Rukia, Rangiku, and Renji merely nodded with agreement.

"We're done here." Soi Fon then walked by her vice-captain. "Hurry up or else I'll leave you behind."

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Omaeda exclaimed, following his captain.

As the Soul Reapers began their departure for Soul Society, Momo sadly watched Toshiro disappear into the portal. "Hinamori."

Recognizing the voice, she looked at Matsumoto. The tenth division lieutenant placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a small smile.

"Let's go."

"Hai Rangiku-san."

She turned to the former third division captain, expecting him to say a farewell. However, his focus is not on her. Matsumoto glanced over to see him watch a member of the punishment force carry their white haired enemy through the Senkaimon. After a defeated sigh, she followed Momo's lead. Together, they left Karakura Town and the remaining two lieutenants: Rukia and Renji.

"We'll see you some other time, Ichigo," Kuchiki said to the Substitute Soul Reaper.

He nodded with agreement. "Yeah."

With that said, she joined Renji who is standing in front of the Senkaimon. The red headed lieutenant gave him a single wave. "Later Ichigo."

After they went through the portal, the Senkaimon closed and disappeared into thin air. Kurosaki then turned to the tall gray haired man, who is staring at the spot where the others left. "What's up with you?"

"Oh," Ichimaru replied. "The way he fought got me reminiscing for a bit."

"About what?"

"He reminded me how much I hurt Rangiku when was still on Aizen's side."

"Hn, is that so?" Urahara replied. "I guess I wasn't the only one who thought his actions were strange. He deliberately allowed Yoruichi-san to knock him out."

"Eh?" Ichigo asked. "How so?"

"We've been watching him since you guys joined the battle," Yoruichi explained as she folded her arms. "He didn't leave any openings for an ambush until he used Hinamori as his hostage again."

"Oh dear," Gin said. "I knew I should have followed them to Soul Society."

"Relax," Urahara replied. "We'll head back to the shop and make the necessary preparations for your trip."

"You're letting him go to Soul Society?" Ichigo asked.

"It's fine," Kisuke explained. "He can handle things over there on his own. In the meantime, we will put our efforts to tracing his reiatsu in all the places he went."

"Ah yeah, sure..."

* * *

"Shin-sama, I have some important news," Kotaru, one of the members in his leader's army, said to his surrounding allies. "The Gotei 13 captured Toshiro."

Upon hearing that, Angel spit the mouthful of soda pop to the side and exclaimed, "What? My sweetheart has been captured?"

"You bitch!" The pink haired female blinked and glanced over to see Ryoga's face drenched in her mouthful of spit and soda. "What the hell was that for?"

Suddenly, she placed a hand over her mouth and let out a giggle. "Relax, you can just wipe it off with your sleeve or something."

Ryoga folded his arms over his chest and gave her a stern look. "Oh sure, don't care about us while you only tend to anything that relates to that white snowball."

Angel placed her hand down on the crate.

"He's not just a white snowball." Then, she placed her hands together and began staring at the blinding light that is shining through the small window above. She dreamily said, "He's a soft cuddly white snowball."

"If he heard that, he would murder you," Tetsuya pointed out before he went back to reading his novel. "Besides, he doesn't _like_ you in the first place."

"What are you talking about? He's just shy."

"Yeah, whatever you say."

Ignoring what his allies are talking about, Kotaru turned his attention to the sinister smiling Shin. He asked, "Should we go save him?"

"There's no need to worry," the leader replied. "He got captured on purpose."

"Is that so?"

The smile on his lips widened into an evil grin. Leader Shin replied, "Yes, somebody has to get caught in order to relay an important message to our ally and know how to escape from Seireitei without much harm."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about him."

"I don't blame you; it has been a long time since he was with us."

* * *

As Hirako is putting away some books in the bookshelf, he heard a deep sigh. Stopping what he was doing, the short haired captain glanced over his shoulder to see his lieutenant sitting behind the desk with a few sheets of paper and an ink brush. She was supposed to write her report on her recent trip to the living world. However, Hinamori is too occupied about other important matters. "You know, the paperwork is not going to finish on its own."

Realizing that Shinji said something, Momo snapped back to reality and asked, "I'm sorry; did you say something, Hirako-taicho?"

The fifth division captain sighed with defeat and went back to putting away his books on the shelf. "Ever since you came back, your mind seems to have wandered elsewhere. Did something happen while you were held captive?"

Hinamori put her ink brush down and placed her hands together on her lap. She lowered her head. "I-It's something like that."

Then, she raised her head and let out a soft smile.

"Then again, I might be just tired."

"I recommend you get some rest," Shinji suggested. "You've been through a lot over the past few days. Besides, I wasn't expecting you to come in after you have been rescued."

"Thanks Hirako-taicho; I shall take my leave."

With that said she got up on her feet, retrieved her zanpakuto from the side, and began walking towards the slide door. "Don't push yourself too hard."

After a short nod, Momo opened it and left the office. Once she stepped out and closed the door, Hinamori sighed with defeat. "Maybe Hirako-taicho is right; I should get some rest."

She slipped her zanpakuto in between her waist and sash before she took a few steps forward. Placing her hands on the rail, she looked up at the shining full moon in the clear night sky.

"But I can't help but worry about the boy, who once tried to save my life," she wondered. "His actions tell me that he's no longer the Toshiro Hitsugaya I knew, but..."

Momo placed a hand over her chest.

"...My heart tells me otherwise because of those words he said."

**_"When was the last time I was called by that stupid nickname? Too long, Bed-Wetter Momo."_**

Hinamori then recalled the many times they've spent together in Junrin'an: going shopping for groceries, playing spinning tops, watching sunsets, and having meals together. She learned a lot of things about the young white haired boy. Though he often acts very stubborn, she knows that he has a hard time expressing his gratitude and kindness genuinely. It is usually shown whenever he blushes and turns his body away from her.

The raven haired girl closed her chocolate brown eyes and slowly let out a soft sigh. By the time she reopened them, she took one last look at the moon in the dark sky before she retreated to her private quarters for the night. Along the way, she only had one question in her mind. _"Shiro-chan, you used to be so easy to read, but now, why are you being so difficult?"_

* * *

**Japanese Word Translations**

**_Zanpakuto_** - Soul Cutter, _**Shinigami -**_ Soul Reaper, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Itte**_ - Ouch, _**Fukutaicho**_ - Lieutenant/Vice-Captain, _**Hai** _- Yes, _**Reiatsu**_ - Spiritual Pressure

* * *

**Author's Note**:Oh boy, Toshiro's actions are making Momo go on an emotional roller coaster ride while the Shin and his army are not too concerned with the way things are going right now. This is not good. What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out on my next update! Please review! Thanks. _  
_


	7. Back Stabber

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series and its characters goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **Moonblossom15, icedragonpeach, TUranzaRE711, skylark dragonstar, TheFayrinaTale, squirtlepokemon215, icyangel27, toshirolovehim, Reader-Favs.  
**

In chapter five, Ichimaru and Hitsugaya were fighting when Ichigo, Rangiku, Renji, and Rukia arrive to assist the former captain. Not long after, Hinamori regained consciousness and tried to stop her childhood friend from fighting anymore. However, a group of people from the Onmitsukido including Captain Soi Fon and Vice-Captain Omaeda arrived to pursue and capture him. Once he is caught, Toshiro was taken into custody, leaving the others wondering about his strange behaviour. Meanwhile, Kotaru informs Leader Shin and the rest of his allies of Hitsugaya's capture. However, the boss isn't too worried about him because hegot captured on purpose. Back in Soul Society, Captain Hirako noticed his lieutenant is deep in thought when she is supposed to do her report and suggested that she rest for the night. After taking his advice, she headed her way home, thinking about her childhood friend.

What is going to happen next? Well, why don't you read and find out? Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Dreaming.  
_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Six:** Back Stabber

_"So that's where you've been this whole time." In response to her voice, the white haired boy looked over to see the raven haired girl climbing cautiously onto the rooftop. Once she managed to get on it safely, she let out a relieved sigh and crawled over to his side. "Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?"_

_With the support of his hand, Toshiro sat up and replied, "I should the same thing back to you. Why did you wake up?"_

_By the time she took a seat next to her friend, she said, "I was worried about you; you weren't in bed."_

_However, the emerald-teal eyed boy wasn't convinced. With an idea in his mind, he asked, "You wet your bed again, didn't you?"_

_All of a sudden, Momo puffed her cheeks like a blow fish. Then, she pouted. "Mou, I don't wet the bed anymore. You're so mean, Shiro-chan."_

_"Oi, stop calling me by that nickname!" Slightly irritated, he turned his head away. "I'm not a kid anymore."_

_"But you are a kid."_

_"You know what I mean."_

_The two childhood friends fell silent. After a short while, Hinamori raised her head to see the dazzling stars in the night sky. Awed by its beauty, her face lightened up. "Wow, the stars look pretty tonight."_

_When she glanced over, she watched Hitsugaya looking up at the bright spectacle nature has to offer during this time of night. In those fascinating emerald-teal eyes of his, she could see the reflection of the glittering stars which shined like refined gemstones. Soon, she saw a small smile appeared on his lips. "...Yeah, they do."_

_Momo smiled back. "So, you do smile. It just only happens once in a while."_

_The white haired boy took a quick glance at her before he turned his attention away. He muttered, "Uruse."_

_She resumed her attention to the sky, enjoying both the view and the moment with her long-time friend. After a while, she noticed a bright light beam across the sky before disappearing into the night. She let out a soft gasp. "Oh wow, a shooting star! Hurry, let's make a wis-"_

_However, her words were cut off by a weight on her right shoulder. Momo looked over to find the young boy has fallen asleep. She let out a soft smile as she watched his chest rise and fall, synchronizing with his steady breathing. Making him comfortable, she draped her arm over his shoulder and pulled him close. Then, she resumed her attention to the scattered stars above. _

_"Wishing star, I wish for us to always get along."_

* * *

Hinamori slowly opened her eyes to the first thing she saw: the ceiling. She soon closed her chocolate brown eyes and let out a soft sigh. The experience was nothing, but a figment of the life she used to live with her childhood friend. _"Always get along, huh?"_

Though she wanted to stay in bed, life is running on a tight schedule. So, she sat up and raised her arms up. After doing a few stretches, the fifth division lieutenant pulled her blanket aside and got out of her futon. Once she got on her feet, she walked over to the pair of light blue curtains. With both her hands, she pushed them away to feel the sun rays beam down at her.

At times like this, she would normally feel good. However, it didn't this time around. Her thoughts are still clouded by the image of her white haired friend. _"If only that wish came true..."_

* * *

"Are you sure the trail leads here?"

Standing next to the orange haired teenager, the council president of Karakura High raised two fingers and pushed the rim of his glasses towards his face. He raised his head, taking another look at the Karasu River. "Yes Kurosaki, I'm a hundred percent certain."

Then, he turned his attention to Ichigo.

"If none of us were informed about the situation in Soul Society and went along with you, you would have no idea where to start."

The third year student gave him a stern look before he placed a hand on his waist and turned his head away from Uryu Ishida.

"Now that we're here," Orihime Inoue said, interrupting the two allies. "let's start searching for clues."

"Yes." Everyone looked down to see the talking black cat walking ahead of the group of humans. Yoruichi stopped for a moment to glance over her shoulder. She added, "The sooner we do this, the more likely we'll find something that relates to our enemies."

With that said the black feline resumed her attention to the front and ran off to investigate on her own. Kurosaki scratched the back of his head and sighed with defeat. "Alright then; we'll split up. Chad and I will check the riverbanks on both sides while Inoue and Ishida go check the bridge."

The other schoolmates nodded with agreement before they went on their separate ways. As Ichigo and Yasutora Sado were tracing for their enemy's reiatsu, they noticed something nearby. They stopped for a moment to raise their heads and see the waving long haired girl, the glasses boy, and the black cat. Once she got their attention, she placed both hands on the sides of her mouth and called out, "Kurosaki-kun! Sado-kun! We sensed a strong spiritual presence around here!"

"Okay!" Ichigo exclaimed. "We'll be right there!"

Then, the two teenagers went to rejoin the others.

"Where did you sense it?"

Ishida raised an arm and pointed at something. The two long-time friends looked up to see the highest point on the bridge. The council president said, "The presence is strongest up there."

"That looks like a good spot to view the whole city," Yoruichi said to the four students.

"And the sunset," Orihime added.

Chad asked, "Sunset?"

She nodded with agreement. "Whenever I cross this bridge to Kurosaki-kun's place, I sometimes see the sunset. It was a beautiful sight to see. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for a large pizza covered with mustard, jelly beans, and orange slices!"

As Ichigo and Yasutora raised their eyebrows at the female, Uryu fixed the positioning of his glasses with his fingers. "I-I see."

"But anyway," she explained. "If down here is a good sight to see things, then up there must be something to behold."

"One can also use it to track people's movements," Shihoin concluded.

"Then, it's safe to assume that the enemy Kurosaki encountered is good at collecting information," Ishida speculated.

The cat nodded with agreement. "I think so too."

"Well, let's continue retracing his reiatsu," Kurosaki said. "It might lead us somewhere important."

Following the teenager's lead, the group went to the other parts of Karakura Town for any leads about their mysterious white haired enemy and his group of allies. After a while, they were soon stopped. The trail they followed leads them all the way to the Kurosaki Clinic.

Ichigo's eyes widened upon astonishment. "Y-You're kidding me, right?"

Before he could answer Kurosaki's question, Ishida points his finger on the roof above Yuzu and Karin's room. "A strong trace of his reiatsu is coming from up there."

The orange haired teenager then lowered his head and hissed between his teeth. Concerned for him, Orihime looked over and noticed his hands turn into fists. "Kurosaki-kun..."

"I should have sensed his presence whenever he's here, but I didn't."

"It's because Toshiro Hitsugaya had Soul Reaper training from Shin," Yoruichi explained. "Like the Gotei 13, he's able to control his powers. However, that is the weird part. We were able to trace his reiatsu around town even though he's potentially skilled enough to hide it."

Because of those words, it got the students of Karakura High thinking. After a brief moment of silence, Ichigo suggested that they move on and search for other places where Toshiro's reiatsu can be detected. Just as they were about to leave, a familiar voice called out to Kurosaki, "Onii-chan, what are you doing here?"

Everyone turned to see the Kurosaki twins leaving the residence. "Yuzu."

The happy going twin walked up to him and asked, "I thought you and your friends are going into town."

"Yeah, we were there."

Then, he looked over her shoulder to see his other sister. However, her attention is focused on the side in the general direction where the white haired enemy's reiatsu is located. "What's wrong, Karin?"

_"He's not here again."_

She then closed her eyes and turned around.

"It's nothing." As she is walking away, she said, "Let's go, Yuzu."

"We'll return soon, Onii-chan!" the pigtail haired twin replied. "We're just going to the store to buy some groceries."

"Ah yeah..."

She let out a bright smile. "Ja ne!"

With that said she turned around and ran off to catch up with her twin. Once they were gone, Yoruichi asked, "One of your sisters can see spirits, right?"

"Yeah," Kurosaki replied, "but I don't want her to get involved."

"I see."

"Let's continue our search," Orihime suggested.

He gave her a short nod. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Hinamori let out a deep sigh. After doing a paperwork delivery to the first division, she came across the second division headquarters and stopped. Coming from inside, she can faintly sense the familiar presence of her childhood friend._ "He has been sent here, huh?"_

This would be a good opportunity to clear things up with the prisoner. However, she knew that none of the Soul Reapers in there will allow them to meet. Just as she is about to leave, she stopped and noticed the tenth division lieutenant walking towards her.

"Rangiku-san."

"Ah Hinamori," Matsumoto replied, stopping in front of her. "What are you doing around here?"

"Oh, I'm just heading back to my division," Momo replied. "I had to deliver some paperwork for Hirako-taicho. What about you?"

"I'm looking for Yoru-taicho. I was told by one of my subordinates that he went to see Soi Fon-taicho."

"I see."

"Do you want to come along?"

"Come along?" Hinamori asked. "For what?"

"The chance to talk with that kid," Rangiku replied. "He has been confined in the second division since his capture."

The peach girl took another look at the second division barracks. "I-I suppose, but..."

She resumed her attention to the older Soul Reaper.

"...How did you know I wanted to see him?"

It is when she placed an arm around Momo's shoulder and pulled the lieutenant close. She replied, "I could tell by the look on your face. Ever since you were rescued, you've been constantly worried about something. Everything else is all logical thought. Because you called him Shiro-chan, I'm assuming that you know him."

"Oh..."

"If you don't mind me asking, how are you two acquainted?"

The fifth division lieutenant lowered her head. After a while, she raised her head up again and asked her a question, "Do you remember me telling you how I used to live with an elderly woman in Junrin'an?"

"Yes."

"Well, she's Shir-I mean Toshiro Hitsugaya-kun's grandmother."

"In other words, you two lived together at some point as a family."

She nodded with agreement.

"So, that's why you tried to protect him yesterday. What exactly happened back then?"

"He...He died from a Hollow attack."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Rangiku said. "If he died, then it's impossible to meet him again."

"I know," Hinamori replied. "I'm confused myself."

"That's why you want to see him."

Momo gave the older Soul Reaper a faint smile before taking another look at the second division headquarters. _"That's not the only reason; I also want to know the truth behind his actions and his lies."_

"In that case, let's go see him. I'm curious what he has to say."

Wondering who said that, the two girls glanced over their shoulders and jumped. They did not realize Gin Ichimaru was standing behind them. "I-Ichimaru-san!"

"What are you doing here in Soul Society?" Matsumoto asked.

"On behalf of Urahara, I'm here to assist you," the former third division captain said. "I need our little hostage to answer a few questions."

"Hn, is that so? What did Urahara-san want to know?"

However, the male didn't answer right away. Instead, he let out a small grin on his face. "I'm not quite sure."

As Momo gave Gin a questionable look, Rangiku folded her arms and frowned. "I feel like slapping you right now. You're not telling me the truth."

"Oh, so you saw through me?"

"Of course, I did. I'm your childhood friend!"

Knowing where this conversation is going, Hinamori raised a fist and began clearing her throat. Once she got their attention, she said, "We can't stand here all day. Shall we get going?"

"Ah yeah."

With that said, the three allies walking towards the second division headquarters. But before they could step into the property, they were stopped by certain fatty vice-captain and his two subordinates. Omaeda took a step forward and asked, "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"We're looking for Yoru-taicho," Matsumoto replied. "We were told that he went to meet Soi Fon-taicho."

Marechiyo narrowed his eyes at the busty lieutenant before turned his attention to Momo and Gin. "I can understand why you're here, but you don't have to bring these two here as well."

"Oh, come on! We're not her-"

However, she was cut off by Ichimaru's hand. He glanced over his shoulder to reveal a small grin on his face. "Allow me to handle the rest."

Then, he resumed his attention to the front. "We really need to go see Yoru-taicho."

"Orders are orders," Omaeda replied. "We will not allow anyone to pass."

"Why's that?"

"One of you can help the prisoner escape."

"Hn, is that so?" Gin asked. "So, you're saying that the Onmitsukido is too weak to guard one little prisoner and his allies?"

"W-We're not weak!" he sputtered.

"Oh, really? Why don't you prove it?"

"F-Fine! You can pass."

A grin appeared on Ichimaru's face. "Arigato."

With that said, the three allies walked into the division headquarters. After a brief moment of silence, Matsumoto said, "It's about time he let us through."

"Sugoi Ichimaru-san," Hinamori said.

The gray haired male let out a small smirk and replied, "It's only a matter of buttering him up. Now, let's go find where our little hostage is being held."

* * *

After following his reiatsu, the two lieutenants and the former captain were lead to series of isolated cells in the notorious detention room known as Maggot's Nest. At the end of the line, they found the dark haired captain standing in front of one of the cells. "Yoru-taicho."

Upon hearing his name, he looked over to see the three allies. "Rangiku, I didn't expect you to be here."

"Neither did we; what are you doing here?"

As they are conversing, Hinamori turned her attention to the prisoner inside. She placed a hand over her mouth. As she suppressed her gasp, Momo took a step back. Though she expected her childhood friend to be locked up in the cell, she was still shocked to see the state he is in right now. The unconscious white haired male is handcuffed to the wall at the mercy of any possible attack. It was evident by the partially torn yukata he's wearing, the several bruises all over his body, and trails of fresh blood dripping down on the side of his temple and lips._ "Shiro-chan..."_

"Soi Fon asked me to do a favour," Yoru explained to his vice-captain, "and deal with our little hostage while she finishes the report in her office."

"Oh yeah, you used to work in the second division," Matsumoto said.

"That's right." The dark haired captain then turned his attention to Ichimaru. He smiled. "It has been a while, Gin."

The former captain merely smiled back. "Yes, it has."

Then, he turned to Momo. "How are you doing, Hinamori?"

The fifth division lieutenant snapped back to reality and looked at the friendly captain. She replied, "Oh, I'm doing better. Thanks for your concern, Yoru-taicho."

"You shouldn't push yourself; you've been through a lot recently."

She gave him a short nod. "I'll be carefu-"

All of a sudden, she felt a very cold chill run down her spine. Recognizing this sensation, she slowly glanced over to meet with an icy pair of glaring eyes. The conscious Hitsugaya took a moment to spit some of the blood off to the side before letting out an amused grin. "Hn, I must be really popular today. Are you guys here to beat the truth out of me like what the old fashioned captain done to me?"

"Hey, be glad you're on the other side of this cell," Yoru said, walking up to the cell. "Or else I would have ripped your body into shreds by now."

"Well, you didn't do that in your last attempt. It's probably because you are one of the weakest captains in the Gotei 13."

The tenth division hissed between his teeth. Just as he is about to draw his zanpakuto, Matsumoto extended her hand out and prevented the taller Soul Reaper from moving any closer to the hostage. "Taicho, there's no need to get worked up."

Then, she turned to Hitsugaya.

"Let's cut to the chase. We need you to answer a few questions."

"No matter what you do," Toshiro replied, "I'm not going to give you any information, Rangiku Matsumoto."

"Please co-operate with us, Shiro-chan," Hinamori finally said, getting everyone's attention. "I-I really don't know why you're acting this way, but you should stop."

The white haired male lowered his head, covering his eyes with his messy bangs. Just as the others noticed the change in his behaviour, he replied, "The Shiro-chan you remember is long gone. So, accept the truth; this is who I am now."

He raised his head.

"I'm here to witness the Gotei 13's demise."

Yoru then folded his arms over his chest and said, "So, it is revenge you want."

"That's right," Hitsugaya agreed. "It's your entire fault for leaving people like me to di-"

"Revenge is not going make you feel better!" Momo interrupted. "It only brings more hatred; you should already know that!"

The white haired prisoner fell silent for a brief moment before he replied to the peach girl, "Why don't you go away and die somewhere? You're starting to get annoying, Bed-Wetter."

Momo gasped and soon found herself at a loss, astonished to hear those icy words coming out of his mouth. She lowered her head.

In the meantime, Rangiku took a step forward and exclaimed, "If I were you, I would shut up!"

"I. Don't. Care."

"Okay, let me beat the crap out of him!"

But before the strawberry orange haired lieutenant could do anything, Momo raised her head. With her hands turned into fists, she angrily said, "Shiro-chan, stop acting like a spoiled brat! If Obaa-san were to see you right now, she would be heartbroken at the person you've become."

All of a sudden, he burst out with laughter causing the raven haired girl to frown.

"Wh-What's so funny?"

By the time he settled down, Hitsugaya let out an evil grin and said, "Who cares about that old hag?"

Her eyes widened with bewilderment before she began looking down at the concrete floor. She wanted to keep questioning the white haired male, but her built up emotions began to surface in the form of tears. With one last look at Hitsugaya, she quickly ran away causing Matsumoto to call out to her. "Hinamori!"

However, the fifth division vice-captain already disappeared from sight. She shot a glare at the grinning Toshiro.

"It seems like I missed something here." Rangiku turned to her captain. "What is Hinamori's relationship with him?"

"Before she became a Soul Reaper, they used to live together in Rukongai."

"Oh, now that makes sense," Yoru replied. Then, he took a quick glance at where Momo ran off to before looking at Rangiku again. "Why don't you go check up on Hinamori? I'll finish things up here."

She nodded with agreement. "Yes sir."

With that said, the female Soul Reaper went after the younger one. In the meantime, Gin had his focus on the white haired hostage the whole time. "Ichimaru?"

Suddenly, he snapped back to reality and glanced at the tenth division captain. "Oh sorry, I was daydreaming."

Yoru gave the gray haired man a stern look. "Oi."

"Well, I better leave you to your work." He turned his body and began following Rangiku's and Momo's lead. As he watched the former captain leave, Ichimaru raised a hand and said, "Bye bye!"

Once he is gone, Yoru resumed his attention to Toshiro.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked. "You want to beat me up some more?"

There was a short pause. "Pretty much."

He walked up to the cell to insert a key into the lock. After opening the door, he entered the sealed cubical.

"You sure know how to mess with Hinamori's mind."

He slowly approached the injured hostage. "It's in my job description."

"I heard you two used to live together."

A grin appeared on Toshiro's face. "I suppose it is true, but I don't remember anything other than being killed by those Hollows."

"I see." Yoru stopped in front of Hitsugaya. "Back to where we were before you lost your conscious, I won't leave until you answer my question."

He suddenly grabbed the collar of his yukata and pulled Toshiro close.

"What are Shin and your men up to?"

Hitsugaya grinned. "Why don't you wait and find out, Yoru-taicho?"

The tenth division captain narrowed his eyes, trying to read his intentions. However, his efforts were no avail. So, he released the prisoner and quickly left the cell. Then, he closed the door and began locking it up with the key.

"Good luck trying to stop us."

Just as he is about to leave, he stopped to take one last glance at Hitsugaya. "Oh yes, I would watch that glare if I were you."

With that said, he left the white haired male on his own unaware that his hands turned to tight fists. Once Captain Yoru is gone, Toshiro lowered his head and loosened the grip on his hands. After a long moment of silence, he muttered, "Just a little longer..."

* * *

"She has to be around here somewhere," Rangiku said as she and her childhood friend are searching the fifth division lieutenant somewhere outside the second division barracks. "I'm sure of it."

Suddenly, Gin stopped moving. "There she is."

She soon stopped walking as well and began looking around. "Where?"

Without any warning, he grabbed onto her chin and forcefully turned her head into the direction where he found the raven haired girl. "Up there."

"Oh..."

After letting her go, the two childhood friends jumped onto the building roof and approached the young Soul Reaper. She sat on the tip of the roof with her arms wrapped around her legs. Though her face is buried in her arms, they could hear her hiccup between her soft cries.

"Hinamori."

Hearing her name, Momo slowly raised her head and glanced over her shoulder to see the two childhood friends. "Rangiku-san. Ichimaru-san."

The tenth division lieutenant walked up to her side before taking a seat. "You're upset about him. Isn't that right?"

Hinamori slowly nodded with agreement. "I-I can't believe he would say such harsh words about his grandmother."

With her kimono sleeve, she took a moment to wipe her tears.

"Back when he was still alive, he really cared about her."

"Yeah, but that's the past," Matsumoto explained, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He has changed since his death. Plus, it doesn't look like he remembers you."

_"If only you understand the full extent of what I'm feeling,"_ Momo thought. _"He tells people one thing and tells me another; I don't know what or who to believe anymore."_

"There's no point dwelling on it for too long." The two females looked over to see Ichimaru standing their side. "We have better fish to fry."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Rangiku said. "Let's go to the twelfth division and check up on Kurotsuchi-taicho."

"Kurotsuchi-taicho?" Hinamori asked. "What for?"

"We went to the grave site where you were kidnapped and found out that your friend's body was dug up shortly after he was buried."

The raven haired girl blinked. "Eh, somebody took his body days or maybe hours after he was put to rest?"

Rangiku nodded. "That's what Kurotsuchi-taicho told us."

She was baffled by the discovery. After fifty-two years of visiting the grave site and reminiscing the times they've once shared, she never suspected her childhood friend's body to be missing. Then, a thought came into mind. "If that's the case, then he was revived shortly after by Shin."

"About that," she replied. "We're not sure yet."

"Well, what are we standing here for?" Ichimaru asked. "Let's go see him and find out."

* * *

Kurostuchi was typing away on his large computer when he heard the doors automatically open. "Mayuri-sam-"

But before she could say anything else, the scientist turned around and snapped at his robotic daughter, "If you dare say another word, I will come and dismantle you!"

"I'm sorry, but there are a few people who wish to speak with you."

"Who would that be?"

"Gin Ichimaru," Nemu replied. "Rangiku Matsumoto and Momo Hinamori."

Just as he is about to give the most obvious answer, a thought came into mind. He went back to typing on his computer. "Fine; let them in."

With a short nod, the twelfth division lieutenant left the room and soon came back in with Ichimaru, Matsumoto, and Hinamori.

The two lieutenants and former captain walked up to the scientist. At first, they waited for the scientist to finish his task. However, it didn't seem like he was going to finish anytime soon. The two females looked at one another and decided to ask Kurotsuchi. Just as they were about to say anything, Mayuri suddenly said, "Momo Hinamori."

Surprised that he wished to speak with her, she replied, "Y-Yes Kurostuchi-taicho?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." He took a moment to turn around and face her. "Does that name ring a bell?"

She slowly nodded her head. "Yes sir."

"What is your relationship with him?"

"He's-I mean _was_ my childhood friend...back when he was alive."

Then, Mayuri turned around and went back to typing on his computer. In the meantime, Rangiku took a step forward and asked, "Um Kurotsuchi-taicho, we were wondering if you fig-"

"Shin used a resurrecting kido to revive the dead," he replied.

She blinked. "Eh?"

"W-Wait a minute," Hinamori asked. "Isn't that a forbidden kido?"

"Yes, that's correct," Mayuri explained. "According to data analysis on the dirt sample and that kid's blood sample, he is one and the same person."

"In other words, Shin managed to dig up and steal Hitsugaya's body before he used kido to revive him," Ichimaru concluded.

"Yes," the captain replied. "Based on that, it's possible that the other members of Shin's army are also people who came back from the dead."

"Th-Then, how did Shin managed to convince Hitsugaya and the others to join him?" Matsumoto further questioned.

Gin took a moment to briefly think about it. He soon replied, "Since Hitsugaya said he wanted revenge on us, it's possible that Shin altered their memories."

"Ah, that would make sense."

_"Altered his memories, huh?"_ Momo thought.

"Whatever the reason is, Hitsugaya is a good subject for me to observe a little further," Kurotsuchi said, hiding the amused grin on his face.

_"Then, why he said he doesn't remember Obaa-san when he called me Bed-Wetter Momo?"_

"Momo Hinamori."

She snapped back to reality and asked, "Ah yes?"

"Don't let your feelings get in the way of your duties. He may be your childhood friend, but he's one of them."

"B-But what if he regained his memories and is trying to seek our help to save him?"

There was a short pause. "I doubt that."

"Eh?"

He stopped typing for a moment to glance over his shoulder. He explained, "I went to Maggot's Nest and had a little chat with him. Since he hasn't cried for help, he is on Shin's side."

"No way..."

"Now, if you don't mind," Mayuri said. "I would like to continue working on this alone."

"Alright then," Ichimaru replied. "Thanks for the information, Kurotsuchi."

With that said Gin turned around and began leaving the room. Just as she is about to follow his lead, Matsumoto noticed Hinamori staring into space._ "If only he would give me a sign as to which side he's really on."_

Suddenly, she felt something on her shoulder. Momo took a quick glance to see the strawberry orange haired woman. Rangiku let out a soft smile. "Let's go, Hinamori."

She slowly nodded in response. "Hai Rangiku-san."

* * *

Sitting on a thick branch of a tree, a black hooded figure had his eyes on second division's infamous Maggot's Nest when he heard a crack. He glanced over to see a familiar face leaning against a nearby tree below. The blond haired male let out a grin and said, "So, you weren't captured after all."

"What do you expect?"

The cloaked figure jumped off the branch and landed on one knee. By the time he stood up, his hood had already fallen down to his shoulders. He placed his hand on the side of his glasses and removed it from his face to reveal his identity. The other male narrowed his eyes, causing him to fold his arms over his chest. "No wonder Shin likes you. You managed to use one of your ice clones and fool those Shinigami, Toshiro."

After putting his glasses in his yukata, the white haired spy let out small smirk before turning his attention to Maggot's Nest. "I'm just doing my job, Leon."

"Have you found out anything interesting?"

"Hn, nothing really," Hitsugaya replied. "They're still trying to figure us out. The only lead they have is information about Shin-san's history with the Captain Commander."

"I see."

"So..." Toshiro glanced over his shoulder. "When are we going to attack?"

"...Once Shin-san and the others arrive here."

As he waited for the white haired male to leave, Leon's hands suddenly turned to fists. He slowly turned around to see Toshiro's back. He narrowed his eyes and carefully placed his hand on the hilt of his sheath (that is placed on the side of his waist). His lips broke out into an evil smirk. This is the chance of a lifetime. For a while now, he wanted to kill the little genius always getting on Shin's good side. If he were to perform the crime, he can push the blame on the Gotei 13.

_"Yes, that's perfect."_

He slowly moved closer to the white haired male. With each approaching step, he tasted more of that sweet victory.

_"I can do this; he wouldn't know what hit him."_ Anticipating the moment, he began licking his lips. Once he is close enough, Leon quietly drew his sword._ "Good bye, Toshiro Hitsugaya."_

With the support of the toes on his foot, he launched himself towards the black cloaked male and thrust his sword towards his chest. But before he can make his move, Hitsugaya quickly turned around and caught the attacking blade in between two fingers. Leon's eyes widened, baffled that he anticipated his move. His plan failed; he had to get out of this situation somehow.

At that moment, he felt something. He looked down to see a hand placed over his heart. Realizing what is going to happen, he raised his head to meet with Toshiro's icy cold eyes. Struck with fear, he tried to reason with the prodigy. "I-I can expl-"

"Soren Sokatsui."

Leon let out a fearful yell as a blast of blue spiritual energy pierce through his body and splatter fresh blood all over the trees, bushes, and grass. Once his attack ceased, Hitsugaya slowly put his hand down and watched the blond haired male drop to his knees. Blood came down the side of his lips as Leon struggled to raise his head. He weakly cursed, "Y-You b-bas...tard..."

Then, he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground like a rag doll. After a brief moment of silence, Toshiro retorted, "Baka, that's what you get for trying to back stab me."

With that said he left the lifeless body aside and went deeper into the woods to take a short patrol around the area. By the time he came back, he walked up to Leon and got down on one knee. Carefully, he turned him onto his back. But before he can pick his wrist, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him back. "Oh my gosh! You're alright, my sweethea-"

Toshiro scowled. With his hands, he broke free from the pink haired girl. "Get off me, Ang-"

Suddenly, she gasped. "What happened to Leon?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." He took a moment to check his pulse. Then, he ran his fingers over the major wound the blond haired male sustained. He soon closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. "He was killed by a destructive spell."

"Shit!"

Everyone turned their attention to the stomping male. He walked over to the nearest tree and kicked it.

"The Gotei 13 is responsible for all this!" Ryoga exclaimed. "They must have ambushed and killed him!"

Ignoring the short tempered ex-Rukongai resident, Eriko turned her attention to Hitsugaya. "Did you meet up with him, Toshiro?"

"No, I haven't," he replied. "Since you asked me that question, it's safe to assume he was supposed to come and tell me of your whereabouts."

She nodded with agreement.

"It seems that they're ready to fight us," Jun speculated.

Then, heads turned to their leader for the verdict. After a long moment of silence, Shin raised his head and said, "We're going into Seireitei to ensure that Leon's death wasn't in vain."

"Yes sir!"

Just as they were about to leave, Hitsugaya got back on his feet and asked, "What should I do, Shin-san?"

The old man stopped to look at his follower. "Stay put."

Toshiro bowed his head. "I understand."

Once Shin left, he turned his attention to the smiling pink haired girl. "I'll be back soon, sweetie."

He let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, I know."

Angel let out a cute giggle before she leaned over and gave him a small cheek kiss. Then, she pulled away to join with the rest of her allies. "Love you!"

By the time everyone's gone, Hitsugaya raised his arm to wipe the kiss off his cheek with disgust before putting his hood back over his head. As he headed in the direction of Maggot's Nest, he muttered under his breath, "Yuck."

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

**_Uruse_** - Shut Up, _**Reiatsu**_ - Spiritual Pressure, _**Onii-chan**_ - Big Brother,_** Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (Casual/Informal), _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Sugoi** _- Amazing, _**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Kido**_ - Demon Arts, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Shinigami**_ - Soul Reaper, _**Baka** _- Idiot/Stupid

* * *

**Author's Note**: Interested with the current development? Well, I most certainly am (even though I came up with the idea in the first place). Will Shin and his army get their revenge on their lost comrade? Will the Gotei 13 be ready for them and what will Toshiro do next? You just have to stay tuned and find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	8. Turmoil

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Unforgettable. Thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers:** Reader-Favs, witchsoul531, Syl The tWins, TheFayrinaTale, icedragonpeach, TUranzaRE711, toshirolovehim, **and** Moonblossom15.  
**

In the previous chapter, many significant events happened: the search for clues, the heartbreaking reunion, a shocking discovery, and the killing of an ally. What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **Sound Effects.**  
_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Seven**: Turmoil

Feeling the sudden vibration underneath, the two lieutenants and former captain stopped to hold their ground. Soon, Rangiku and Momo's eyes widened before they turned their heads to look at one another. The sensation was certainly not caused by an earthquake; it is caused by a nearby spiritual pressure. "The invaders from before are here again."

The peach girl nodded with agreement. Then, a horrible thought came into mind._ "Oh no, they're going to take Shiro-chan away."_

Without a moment to waste, the raven haired girl ran in another direction. Rangiku and Gin soon followed her lead. "Hinamori, where are you going? We're supposed to go back to our divisions!"

Momo glanced over her shoulder and replied, "They're planning to take Shiro-chan. I just know it!"

"You do understand what you just said, right?" Ichimaru asked. "If you keep going, you're bound to fight against Shin and his army."

She resumed her attention to the front. "I'm well aware of that. Even so, I will go stop them from taking him away."

The two childhood friends look at one another. After letting out a deep sigh, Matsumoto cracked a faint smile. "Alright then; we're coming with you."

Hinamori smiled back. "Arigato."

"Let's pick up the pace," Ichimaru said, "or else we'll miss out on all the fun."

Then, he jumped onto the building rooftop and quickened his pace. Following the former captain's lead, the two lieutenants did the same. As they are closer to their destination, Matsumoto noticed smoke coming out from several building structures. "Damn it, they've already arrived."

The two lieutenants and former captain drew their swords. Together, they used flash step. By the time they arrived at the second division, they found the courtyard filled with members of the Onmitsukido and roaring masked beasts.

"They can command Hollows too?!"

"Apparently so," Gin replied before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. "This is our chance to get to Maggot's Nest."

"Hey, easy on the wrist!" Once they caught up with the raven haired girl, they arrived at the doorsteps of the prison of dangerous Soul Reapers. "Holy shit."

The two females were baffled at the scene. Beyond the open doors (which were sliced) are scattered decapitated bodies. The fearful survivors had their backs against the walls. Remembering what she is here for, Hinamori left the two childhood friends and went deeper into Maggot's Nest. Ichimaru grinned with amusement. "Now this is what I call a blood bath."

"Now is not the time to be admiring things!" Matsumoto scowled. Taking hold of the back of his collar, she dragged him along. "We have to check up on Hitsugaya!"

"Shiro-chan!"

By the time they caught up, the group of allies saw the white haired prisoner escape from the destroyed wall's new exit. "After him!"

They ran across the damaged room. But before they jumped out of the opening, the lieutenants and former captain noticed a dark haired male holding out the palm of his hands. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring..."

Recognizing the incantation to the spell, they quickly retreated back into Maggot's Nest. As Rangiku and Gin hid behind the thick walls, Momo turned around. Facing her opponent, she raised the palm of her hands.

Matsumoto called out to her, "Hinamori, what in the world are you doing?"

"...Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!"

Sensing the massive concentrated strike of energy up ahead, the childhood friends braced themselves. On the other hand, the fifth division lieutenant slowly took a deep breath.

"Hado Number 63: Raikoho!"

She exclaimed, "Bakudo Number 81: Danku!"

All of a sudden, a large rectangular barrier appeared in front of the raven haired lieutenant just before the lightning form of spiritual energy collided with it. Using this opportunity, Ichimaru placed both hands on the hilt of his zanpakuto. With his proficient abilities in shunpo, he ran past the fifth division vice-captain and stopped behind his opponents. They glanced over their shoulders to see the former captain point the tip of his blade at them. A sly grin appeared on his face. "You're not getting away."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes and glanced over to see the two female Soul Reapers catch up. He and his ally, Kotaru are surrounded. Knowing that there's no use escaping, Toshiro pulled away from Kotaru's shoulder support and turned to face the lieutenants. He put his arm behind and snatched his sheath which Kotaru retrieved earlier. Holding it out horizontally, Toshiro quickly drew his long bladed zanpakuto. After draping his sheath over his right shoulder, he leaned back against his ally and said, "Handle Ichimaru."

A grin appeared on the dark haired male's face. "Are you sure about that, Toshiro?"

The white haired male wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve and further asked, "Do you really think I can handle him in my current state?"

"Very well, it's your loss."

With that said Kotaru charged at the gray haired male and clashed blades with his.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya was left to face off against Matsumoto and Hinamori. After letting out a deep sigh, he slowly raised his zanpakuto. He searched for an opportunity to strike when he noticed the worried look in Momo's eyes. He lowered his head and grinned. Using his foot as a catapult, he charged at the raven haired girl. Just as he was about to trust his sword towards her face, Hinamori blocked the attack with Tobiume. As the two childhood friends fought for dominance, Hitsugaya sensed the increase of spiritual energy from the side. He glanced over to see the tenth division lieutenant casting a kido spell. "Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa."

As the strawberry orange haired woman fired the rope of spiritual energy, Toshiro jumped back and avoided the attack. Then, he placed both hands on the ground and exclaimed, "Bakudo Number 21: Sekienton!"

All of a sudden, an explosion of red smoke filled the battlefield. Hearing the females cough, Hitsugaya looked over to see Ichimaru and Kotaru exchanging sword swings with one another. Deciding to interfere, he raised his zanpakuto up high and leaped over Gin. Noticing the shadow cast on him, Ichimaru glanced over to see the white haired male's ambush attempt. He jumped back and avoided the strike. With the two allies reunited, Kotaru exclaimed, "Toshiro, you're in the w-"

Without any warning, Hitsugaya raised two fingers in front of Kotaru's face. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Relax Kotaru and remember what Shin-san told us. As we are now, we can't beat them. We have to think carefully about our next move."

The dark haired male let out an amused laugh. "Only you have to worry about that; I can alwa-"

Suddenly, something white flashed momentarily before his eyes. Before he knew it, Kotaru dropped his sword and fell down to his knees. His eyes widened, wondering what just happened. He slowly raised his head to see his white haired ally charging at the former third division captain. "W-Wait Toshiro, I'm stuck!"

Focused on taking down his opponent, he tried to cut Ichimaru from the side. However, Gin anticipated his move and stepped back. He pulled back his zanpakuto, revealing a wide grin on his face. "Ikorose, Shinso!"

Immediately, he thrust his sword forward causing his blade to extend towards Hitsugaya's face. Toshiro's eyes widened upon astonishment. If he doesn't get away fast, he will get seriously hurt. However, at the speed it was going, he won't be able to completely evade the attack. So, he shifted his weight to one side just before the edge of Gin's sword slit his cheek. Ignoring the open wound, Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder to see the extending blade head straight for his paralyzed ally. His eyes widened with surprise.

Just as he turned around to rescue him, Shinso pierced through Kotaru. He arched over in pain and coughed out blood. He slowly raised his head to glare in the direction where Hitsugaya and Ichimaru stood. He cursed, "D-Damn...yo-"

Without any warning, Gin swung his sword and decapitated his body. Just as the upper half of his bloody body fell to the ground, the lower half soon followed its lead.  
Realizing now is not the time to be shocked; he turned his attention to the serious ex-captain. Then, he looked over to see the thinning smoke screen. Toshiro hissed between his teeth. He tried to outrun Ichimaru. However, the tall male easily caught up with him.

In one swift move, he placed a hand on his shoulder and tripped him over his foot. After being sent off balance, Gin slammed Toshiro onto the dirty ground below. Hitsugaya struggled to get back up, but fell back down because of a heavy weight on his back. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at the grinning ex-captain. Just as his blade returned to its original length, he pierced it into the ground next to his face and said, "You're not running away..."

Then, he leaned over to say a few more words in his ear.

"...especially after what_ you_ did."

Under the safety of his loose white bangs, Toshiro lowered his head and fell silent. In the meantime, Rangiku and Momo, who are coughing, emerged from the thick smoke. By the time their throats cleared up, they opened their eyes and gasped at the sight. Matsumoto asked, "What in the world happened here?"

Ichimaru merely grinned. "Oh, I just killed him."

She gave him a stern look. Together with Hinamori, they walked over to the former third division captain. "Of course, the dead body has you written all over it. Now, where's Hitsugaya?"

"He's under my behind."

The two girls looked down to see the white haired prisoner muttering a few words under his breath, "Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders..."

All of a sudden, ten pink energy points lit up on the ground around them. Realizing he's saying the incantations to a destructive spell, Hinamori's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Shiro-chan!"

Ignoring Momo's cry, Toshiro raised his voice. "Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, gray fortress tower."

Just as she is about to interfere, Matsumoto grabbed her arm and began pulling her away. At first, she tried to fought her way out of this one. However, the tenth division lieutenant was too strong for her. Looking over at the older Soul Reaper, the fifth division lieutenant exclaimed, "Rangiku-san, I nee-"

The strawberry orange haired woman interrupted, "No, I'm not letting you get caught in the blast!"

With that said, she jumped far back while pulling Hinamori along. Soon, Ichimaru followed her lead and did the same before Hitsugaya got to finish the last words of the kido spell. "Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired! Hado Number 91: Senju Koten Taiho!"

Seconds later, the ten pink energy points turned bright and then met at a single point. Together, it created a devastating explosion that took down nearby trees and bushes. Even though the former captain and two lieutenants were away from the impact, they still felt the shock wave of the blow. They were barely able to keep their feet on the ground.

Once the force died down, the three allies lowered their guards to see the ruined scenery. Lying in the middle of it all is the white haired male. Momo gasped, put her zanpakuto back in its sheath, and ran to the lifeless body. Once she is standing by his side, she got down to her knees and placed a hand on his shoulder. After carefully flipping him over, she saw his hand fall like a rag doll.

Hinamori sniffed, holding back the building emotions in her eyes and took his wrist. Feeling no pulse, she leaned over his face for any sign of his breathing. Then, she rested her ear against his chest to hear no heartbeat. She slowly raised her head and stare at the sleeping being of her childhood friend.

_"H-He's dead..."_

She buried her face in her hands, releasing her stirring emotions in waves. Seeing him die once was already hard on her. However, seeing him die a second time is heartbreaking. It was like watching a victim get stabbed several times before he collapses. Gasping for breath, she slowly lifted her head and took another long look at her lifeless friend. She gently put her hands under his side and carefully carried his upper half.

Holding him in her arms, she pulled him close and embraced the deceased body. She cried, "I-I'm so sorry, Shiro-chan; I-I couldn't do anything to save you..."

Meanwhile, Matsumoto and Ichimaru quietly watched the emotional scene. Looking at her childhood friend, Rangiku took a step closer and leaned against his shoulder. Providing comfort, he draped his arm over and closed the distance between them. Together, they waited for the sorrowful lieutenant to finish her private moment with Toshiro Hitsugaya. After a few minutes, Rangiku said, "Let's go, Hinamori; we need to get back to our divi-"

"Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa!"

Without any warning, a rope of yellow spiritual energy snaked its way out of a nearby bush and wrap around Momo. Before she could figure out what is going on, the raven haired girl let out a scream and was dragged into the bushes. "Hinamori!"

Rangiku and Gin followed her lead only to find no sign of the younger lieutenant. They looked back and forth.

"Where did she go?"

"We'll split up," Ichimaru suggested. "It's easier to cover more ground this way."

After giving him a short nod, the two childhood friends went on their separate ways to find the missing Momo. Little did they know, Hinamori was in the treetop bushes, trying to calling for help. However, her mouth was muffled by a single hand. As she struggled to break free, she felt something sharp against her back. It soon followed by a cold chill up her spine. "I suggest you to be quiet, Momo Hinamori."

Her eyes widened upon astonishment. Recognizing the voice, she slowly glanced over his shoulder to see glowing emerald-teal eyed male with snowy white hair. Compared to the last time she saw him, he is now wearing a black hooded cloak. _"Shiro-chan..."_

Despite being cluttered with questions in her head, tears formed in her eyes. She never felt so relieved in her life. Her childhood friend somehow survived the suicidal attack. She slowly nodded with agreement.

"Good." Hitsugaya soon removed his hand from her mouth and leaped down onto the bed of grass below. With a single tug on the spiritual rope, he signaled the lieutenant to follow his lead in which she did so obediently. After putting his zanpakuto in its sheath on the back and draped the black hood over his head, he turned to Hinamori and said, "Hide your presence with Kyokko."

Again, she nodded her head and glanced over her shoulder to see the lifeless body she was with before crack. Just as it shattered into millions of pieces, her eyes widened. This whole time, the Gotei 13 only captured an ice clone.

Suddenly, she felt a tug and was pulled into a walk. Following Toshiro's lead, they began walking deeper into Seireitei.

* * *

A Hollow let out an agonizing screech. After he watched his opponent dissipate into the atmosphere, the seated officer ran ahead to exterminate the nearest masked beast. With a fierce yell, he thrust his sword into the Hollow's mask. He twisted his sword ninety degrees clockwise before he pulled it out. The fallen soul shrieked. Using this opportunity, he swung his sword across and sliced off the Hollow's right leg. Then, he watched the beast drop to its knees and collapse on the ground. Just as he was about to deal with his next opponent, he glanced over his shoulder to see a blast of spiritual energy head in his direction. "Shit!"

Luckily, another blast of spiritual energy was shot from the other way and intercepted with the initial attack. At the point of impact, the spells exploded. In amidst of the smoke, the seated officer coughed and saw two silhouettes standing in front.

Recognizing who they are, he exclaimed, "M-Muguruma-taicho! Hisagi-fukutaicho!"

The two high ranked Soul Reapers drew their zanpakutos out. Kensei glanced over at his vice-captain and said, "Shuhei."

With a nod of agreement, the tattooed lieutenant held his zanpakuto across. Placing a hand on the blade, he slid it down to the tip and exclaimed, "Kare, Kazeshini!"

As his sword's initial release was activated, the ninth division captain quickly charged at the kido user and clashed blades with him. The enemy pulled away and jumped back.

Not letting him get away, Kensei lunged forward and called out, "Futtobase, Tachikaze!"

Once his zanpakuto transformed into a combat knife with a bronze guard, he threw a jab.

Seeing the attack at view, Kensei's opponent moved to the side and dodged the air slicing assault. At that moment, he noticed something spinning towards him. Just as he jumped back to evade the attack, he clashed blades with the gray haired captain once more. As Hisagi is about to pull on the chain of his zanpakuto, he saw a dark shadow hovering over. Just as he glanced over his shoulder to witness the ambush, a sword came into view and helped defend him. After catching the other half of his zanpakuto, Shuhei looked over to see a familiar face. "Thanks Kira."

The third division vice-captain pushed his opponent back and turned to his former senior. "It's no problem, Hisagi-san."

Suddenly, they heard a roar. The two lieutenants glanced over their shoulders to see a Hollow raise its arm. Just as it was about to strike down, the beast was sliced in half. They blinked, wondering who is responsible for the Hollow's demise. "Keep your guard up, Izuru."

Recognizing the voice, Kira and Hisagi turned to the blond haired captain standing in their presence. "Y-Yes sir."

"It's about time you arrived," Kensei replied. "Rose."

"I'm sorry," Otoribashi apologized. "The Hollows have no sense of harmony with us."

In the meantime, the two allied enemies reunited with one another. The male said, "We have gotten ourselves quite a catch."

"It sure is," the female, Eriko replied. "It's time to show what we're really made of, Hibiki."

With a nod of agreement, the two members from Shin's army raised their hands over their faces. All of a sudden, vast amount of spiritual energy began leaking through their bodies.

Sensing the increase in reiatsu, the four Soul Reapers turned their attention to their enemies. None of them could ever forget the familiar pressure to the ones they felt approximately two years ago. Kira asked, "They actually have powers like Arrancars?"

"No," Muguruma corrected as they watched white masks forming in Hibiki's and Eriko's hands. "They're people similar to us."

"Oh, so they're closer to Visords," Shuhei said.

"Yes."

"Let us handle them," Rose said. "You and the other Soul Reapers concentrate on the Hollows."

"Yes sir!" the vice-captains exclaimed in unison.

Once Kira and Hisagi left their sides, the third division captain resumed his attention to his opponents. They raised their hands and summoned their Hollow masks. After putting them over their faces, they let out a fierce cry and charged at their masked opponents.

* * *

After a long and silent walk with her childhood friend, Momo stopped briefly to let out a sigh. If she knew what Toshiro is thinking, maybe she wouldn't be so worried. She looked over and noticed they are approaching a certain division headquarters known for its specialization in medicine.

_"The fourth division?"_ she wondered._ "What business does he have here?"_

Once he is at the end of the dark alleyway, the white haired male stopped. Placing a hand on the wall, he took a quick peek outside for any Soul Reapers walking around. With the area cleared, he cautiously stepped out into the open field. Just as Hinamori is about to follow his lead, Hitsugaya suddenly turned around. Grabbing onto her hand, he pulled her back into the alley.

Taking hold of her shoulders, he pushed her all the way to the wall so they are facing one another. Being fairly close, they can hear each other's heavy breaths. Toshiro took a quick glance to the side and waited. At the sight of three Soul Reapers running by, he threw his arms around Momo and pulled her close. As a result, his actions rendered the fifth division lieutenant speechless.

**_BADUM. BADUM._**

Despite all the years they've spent together, she never once expected her childhood friend to embrace her like this. Now that the impossible happened, she couldn't stop the beat of her racing heart.

**_BADUM._**

She shut her eyes tight. _"Be quiet or else he'll notice."_

**_BADUM. BADUM._**

All of a sudden, her eyes shot open as a thought came into mind. _"Wait a minute, what if it's his heart I'm hearing?"_

**_BADUM. BADUM. BADUM._**

Momo slowly looked over. Even though she could only see the back of his head, she could see the uneven rise and fall of his shoulders. Then, she felt something tug on the back of her kimono. Despite having a good grip on the piece of clothing, his han-no, his whole body is shuddering. Realizing all this, she couldn't help but slowly move what she could with her restricted arms around his waist and rest her chin on his shoulder. Keeping him close, she closed her eyes.

**_BADUM._**

_"Knowing that you're alive gives me great joy and hope. But when you said you're going to take revenge on the Gotei 13 and insulted Obaa-san, you break my heart."_ Hinamori soon opened her eyes. _"At the same time, you convince me that you haven't forgotten the times we've spent together. It really makes me wonder..." _

Her hands slowly gripped onto the sides of his yukata.

_"Why do you affect me so much, Toshiro Hitsugaya?"_

All of a sudden, the shakiness from his body ceased and his breaths has stabilized. By the time Hitsugaya pulled away, Hinamori tried to read the expression on his face. However, his hood was in the way of his emerald-teal eyes. As a result, the fifth division lieutenant remained worried for him.

"Shiro-chan..."

Slowly, he raised the palm of her hand over her face. Before she could act, he whispered, "Tanma Otoshi."

At that moment, the liveliness in her eyes suddenly dulled and caused the unconscious raven haired girl to collapse. As Momo collapsed, Toshiro dispel the binding spell on her and caught her in his arms. Carefully, he got down on a knee as he lowered the sleeping Soul Reaper. Once she is sitting comfortably against the wall, he let her go. For a brief moment, he watched Hinamori resting peacefully. Slowly, he extended a hand out to her. But before he could reach for her messy bangs, his hand suddenly froze on the spot. He soon placed his hand on his raised knee and got back on his feet. After he brushed the dust off his clothes, the white haired male turned around and took a quick peek outside the alley. Seeing that the coast is clear, Toshiro took one last glance at the sleeping Momo before he left.

Hitsugaya ran as far as he could towards the fourth division headquarters. However, he had to take a quick right and hide in some bushes. Cautiously, he took a quick peek to see Soul Reapers running by. The white haired male closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Once he opened them, he continued his journey until he arrived at his destination. He stopped for a moment to check his surroundings before he jumped onto the roof to find an old man standing in the middle of it. Toshiro suddenly let out a grin on his face as he heard the elderly male say, "You have nerve to disturb an old man's rest."

"It's an honour to finally meet you," Hitsugaya said, "Captain Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."

"So, Shin sent you here," the first division captain replied.

"That's correct, Soitaicho. I've been sent to get information of the key's whereabouts."

The long bearded captain placed his right hand over his cane, ready to engage into battle. "Yet you do not draw your sword."

"I don't need to use Hyorinmaru for this battle."

"Do not get cocky, kid."

His cane suddenly unraveled into a zanpakuto. With one swift move, the elderly Soul Reaper released a wave of fire in Toshiro's direction. "Bakudo Number 81: Danku!"

Just before the fire reached him, a transparent barrier appeared and blocked the attack.

**_CRACK._**

Hearing the sound, Hitsugaya raised his head. Despite his efforts, the Captain Commander's power is too much for the barrier. Then, he resumed his attention to Yamamoto. With one swift move, he rushed up to the elderly man like lightning. Just as he passed by, Hitsugaya lowered his head and muttered a few words in Shigekuni's ear. As a result, the Captain Commander's eyes widened with astonishment. Yamamoto turned around to face his opponent and asked, "How do you know of such information?"

With an amused grin on his face, Toshiro replied, "I have my sources."

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Who are you exactly?"

At that moment, an additional person joined them on the division rooftop. Hitsugaya and Yamamoto glanced over to see a familiar face in their presence.

"Shin."

The other elderly man took a quick glance at the elite Soul Reaper before he suppressed a laugh. "Toshiro."

Ignoring him, he walked over to his faithful ally. The white haired male gave him a short bow and said, "Shin-san."

"Have you gotten the information we need?"

"Yes sir," Hitsugaya replied. "I know where the key is hidden."

"Good," the enemy leader said. "Let's get out of here."

As the two allies are about to take their leave, the Captain Commander used flash step to get in front. But before he could say anything, they all sensed another spiritual pressure nearby. "Shiro-chan!"

Recognizing her voice, Shin and Toshiro glanced over their shoulders to see the panting fifth division lieutenant.

_"Hn, it's that girl again,"_ Shin thought. "It seems fate likes to keep you two together."

Without any warning, Hitsugaya let out an amused laugh like it's a joke. Then, he seriously replied, "I have no reason to be with her. I'm a dead soul with no memory of my past life and an important mission to carry out. The Gotei 13 will pay for not coming to save my life that day."

A grin appeared on the leader's face. Just when he glanced over, Shin saw the Captain Commander release a wave of fire from a fierce swing of his Ryujin Jakka. Both he and Toshiro jumped a few feet aside and dodged the flames. "I win, Shigekuni."

With that said, the two enemies disappeared from sight. Once they are gone, the old man pierced his sword into the ground and used it for support. Knowing he's not at top condition, he turned to the fifth division lieutenant and ordered, "Momo Hinamori, don't let them get away."

"Y-Yes sir!"

Following his command, the raven haired vice-captain used flash step and went after the enemy leader and her childhood friend. Along the way, she placed a hand over her chest.

_"Shiro-chan."_

After tightening it into a fist, she put her hand down and picked up the pace.

_"If you weren't here to kill Soitaicho, then why did you see him for?"_

* * *

Shin and Hitsugaya were quickly jumping from building to building when they noticed two figures up ahead. The white haired glanced at his leader and asked, "It's late for us to hide in Kyokko. Should we take on Captain Soi Fon and Captain Yoru?"

"It would be a good choice if we didn't sense the other Soul Reapers coming in our direction."

Toshiro paused for a moment to sense his surroundings. "Point taken."

By the time they landed in front of the second and tenth division captains, Captain Hirako; Captain Komamura, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Iba, and Lieutenant Kusajishi surrounded the intruders. Soi Fon took a step forward and said, "I suggest you two give up. We have you surrounded."

As they watched the Soul Reapers prepare to draw their zanpakutos, a grin appeared on Shin's face. "I wouldn't count on that, Soi Fon."

Suddenly, the other eight intruders made themselves known by giving off their combined spiritual presence. While the Soul Reapers are on high alert, they appeared in front of their allies.

"We're not going down without a fight."

Hitsugaya drew his zanpakuto from the sheath on his back. Seeing he's standing next to her, Toshiro asked, "Angel, where are Eriko and Hibiki?"

"They're busy stalling the third and ninth divisions," she replied, "but don't worry about our numbers."

She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a wink.

"I'll protect you, sweetie."

The white haired male let out a deep sigh and resumed his attention to the front. "Whatever you say."

"My dear followers," Shin said with a wide grin on his face. "You know what to do."

* * *

**Japanese Word Translations**

_**Arigato** _- Thank You, _**Zanpakuto**_ - Soul Cutter, _**Shunpo**_ - Flash Step, _**Kido**_ - Demon Arts, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Fukutaicho**_ - Lieutenant/Vice-Captain,_** Reiatsu**_ - Spiritual Pressure, _**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Soitaicho** _- Captain Commander

* * *

**Author's Note**: This chapter turned out to be quite emotional with the HitsuHina moments. _*wipes tear* _It's so bittersweet. What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out in my next update. Please review! Thanks.


	9. Come with Me

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Unforgettable. Thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **Moonblossom15, icedragonpeach, TUranzaRE711, toshirolovehim, TheFayrinaTale, becomeafan, Reader-Favs, sukiatomomo, toshiluver123, icyangel27,** and **skylark dragonstar.  
**

Re-cap of the previous chapter: A fateful showdown, the fall of an enemy, the questioning of actions, and a big confrontation.

What is going to happen next? Well, read and find out! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." __Flash Back. _**Written Code_. Short Flash Back._**

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Eight:** Come with Me

As she is walking with Gin and Rangiku towards the Fifth Division Headquarters, Momo let out a deep sigh. Despite what has happened come to past, she is still trying to take in everything. There are too many important details that cannot be left ignored. "Hinamori."

Snapping back to reality, the raven haired girl turned to the tenth division lieutenant. "Y-Yeah, Rangiku-san?"

"Are you alright?"

The younger Soul Reaper gave her a small smile. "I-I'm doing my best to cope with it."

"Yeah." The tall female resumed her attention to the front. "I'm still quite surprised what Shin and his army are really capable of."

Momo slowly lowered her head. She closed her eyes and replayed the recent events in her thoughts.

* * *

_"My dear followers," Shin said with a wide grin on his face. "You know what to do."_

_Obeying their leader's orders, the seven members of his rebellion army raised their hands on the sides of their faces. With their bodies oozing out a vast amount of spiritual pressure, it began gathering in a single focal point. Before long, the Soul Reapers began to see their increase in power has formed into a single white mask. Their eyes widened in astonishment. Komamura asked, "That's absurd! They have Hollow powers?"_

_At that moment, an amused grin appeared on Captain Zaraki's face. "Well, that's more like it."_

_"Let's go," Lieutenant Kusajishi exclaimed after she appeared from the inside of his kimono. "Ken-chan!"_

_"Hang on tight, Yachiru!"_

_Realizing what the eleventh division captain is up to, Hirako extended his hand out and tried to stop him. But before he could say anything, Kenpachi has already charged towards the enemy. Shinji put his hand down and hissed between his teeth. "That idiot."_

_"Let's go," Soi Fon said. "Yoru."_

_The tenth division captain nodded in agreement. "Yes ma'am."_

_Following Zaraki's lead, the two trained assassins charged toward their enemies. Then, they noticed a single presence of a certain white haired male who suddenly stood in between the two opposing sides. Seeing he is in range, Kenpachi swung his sword down on Toshiro. On the other hand, Hitsugaya calmly raised his sword and parried it aside. He quickly placed his hands together on the hilt of his zanpakuto and swung once again in the other direction. "Soten ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!"_

_Noticing danger, the three captains jumped back to create some distance and dodge the wave of ice. Before long, the fort was easily destroyed by a series of powerful multi-coloured beams. "Cero!"_

_Thinking quickly, Captain Hirako got in front of Zaraki, Yoru, and Soi Fon. He extended his hand out and formed a wide reflecting barrier to shield his allies. Once the combined attack made contact with it, the barrier remained standing. Kenpachi grinned with amusement. "Let me at him."_

_With his opponents in his attack range, Toshiro held his sword aside and prepared to launch another assault. But before he could do that, he sensed something coming in his direction. He took a short glance to see a ball of red fire. Using flash step, he quickly evaded the attack. He scanned the area to pinpoint the user. However, no one appears to be using kido. His eyes narrowed in suspicion._

_"Hey, keep your eyes on your opponent!"_

_Hitsugaya looked over to see the eleventh division captain charging at him. He raised his zanpakuto and clashed blades with his. Toshiro said, "You're eager to fight."_

_"Why don't you put on your mask?" the large captain asked. "I'm sure you'll entertain me."_

_The white haired swordsman pushed him back and tried to attack from a different angle. However, the taller male blocked against it. _

_Little did they know, the fifth division lieutenant has already caught up and joined the battle. Lucky for her, Hitsugaya didn't sense her hiding in Kyokko and was distracted by Zaraki. Hinamori glanced over to see her masked enemies fighting against her allies before resuming her attention to her childhood friend. Placing her free hand over her chest, she hoped that Toshiro hasn't gained any Hollow powers just like the rest of Shin's army. _

_"I have no intention of showing it to you," Hitsugaya replied. "Kenpachi Zaraki."_

_"Was I too late?" Momo thought, "or do I still have a chance to reach out and save you?"_

_"Fine, I just have to dra-"_

_But before the tall captain could say anything else, Toshiro added, "However, I'll be happy to show you something else."_

_"Something else?" Hinamori wondered. "What does he mean by that?"_

_Toshiro jumped back to create some distance. With a smirk on his face, he raised his zanpakuto toward the cloudy skies and shouted, "Ban-kai!"_

_Momo's eyes widened with astonishment. As she watched her childhood friend burst a shock wave of spiritual pressure under his feet, ice began forming on his shoulders. "No way; he knows how to use Bankai?"_

_Spreading like wildfire, the ice covered his right arm; feet; and back into features that resemble parts of a dragon. Once his transformation is complete, he whipped his tail down on the ground and spread his wings out. Holding his sword off to the side, he called the name of his second release. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"_

_Sensing the change in reiatsu in the air, Shin looked over to see Hitsugaya. A grin appeared on his face._

_"Amongst my army, Toshiro has the most talent when it comes to mastering zankensoki," he explained. "If he didn't die, he would have certainly become one of the strongest Shinigami in the Gotei 13."_

_"Dead or not, I'm going to have a fun time fighting him!" Zaraki exclaimed. _

_"I can't believe it," Momo thought. "All this time, he was stronger than me."_

_Suddenly, she notice his pair of icy cold eyes glaring in her direction. Feeling chills down her spine, she cautiously placed her hands together and raised her zanpakuto. Before long, she saw him flap his ice wings. After he was lifted off into the air, he flew towards her. He raised his sword and swung it across, releasing a wave of ice. "Hyoryu Senbi!"_

_Immediately, Hinamori leaped back to stay out of his attack range. However, she noticed the ice is following her. She took a quick glance to see the user is directing the frozen water like a puppeteer._

_"Zekku!"_

_Knowing that she doesn't have enough time to dodge it a second time, she raised her zanpakuto and swung it across. "Hajike, Tobiume!"_

_Once the two attacks made contact, they exploded like fireworks. When she looked at her childhood friend again, he already disappeared._

_"Where did h-"_

_Suddenly, her eyes widened upon realization as Toshiro flew past her shoulder and exposed her to everyone by ripping away the curtain of kido with his bare hand. However, the revelation is the least of her worries. Sensing a strong presence nearby, Momo glanced over to see her pink haired opponent within her attack range. Angel raised her sword above her head and exclaimed, "You're going down, Shinigami!"_

_Just as she is about to strike down, Shinji Hirako appeared in between to block the assault. "Hirako-taicho!"_

_The fifth division captain briefly glanced over his shoulder. Once he resumed his attention to the front, Shinji pushed his opponent back. He quickly raised his hand and fired a ball of spiritual energy at her. "Momo!"_

_Breaking out of her thoughts, the female lieutenant tried to move away from the battle. However, she sensed something coming in her direction. By the time she noticed the ice tail, she launched a fireball from the tip of her zanpakuto. The two attacks made contact and exploded. Using the emerging smoke, she went down to the ground where her Soul Reaper allies are fighting against the other members of Shin's army. _

_At that moment, she became surrounded by other elite members of the Gotei 13. Momo looked to her left and then to her right at the Soul Reapers from the sixth, eighth, and thirteenth divisions. At the same time, Ichimaru and Matsumoto also arrived. "Hinamori, you're alright!"_

_"Rangiku-san!"_

_"Oh dear," Gin said. "It seems like this party has already started without us."_

_As he oversaw the battles, Shin narrowed his eyes at the arrival of more enemies. After flicking his elderly hair over his shoulder, the leader turned around and began leaving the field. "My dear followers, I think they had enough fun with us for today. It's time to head back to the hideout."_

_Being the one closest to him, Ryoga fired a cero at his opponent and turned around. Facing Shin, he asked, "Huh, we still haven't taken revenge on our fallen comra-"_

_Without any warning, a strong spiritual force began leaking out of his leader's aged body. Just as Shin glanced over his shoulder, the surrounding people felt the immense pressure. It made them have chills running down their spines. So, they stopped what they were doing and turned to watch him and Ryoga. "Let's go. We'll annihilate them all in our next encounter."_

_"Y-Yes sir."_

_As they watched their ally retreat, the other members of Shin's army ignored their opponents and followed his lead. Dissatisfied with the decision, Angel puffed her cheeks and folded her arms. While she walked past Hitsugaya, she muttered, "He just had to spoil our fun."_

_Just as Toshiro is about to follow his ally, he sensed a nearby threat. He quickly looked over to see the tenth division captain within range. He raised his sword to defend only to realize Yoru disappeared from sight. The wielder of ice narrowed his eyes, waiting patiently for any abnormalities._

_"Cutie, watch out!"_

_By the time he noticed it, he felt the weight on his right shoulder suddenly became lighter. Hitsugaya glanced over to see his ice wing shatter into pieces and the face of the one responsible for it. Yoru extended two fingers out and exclaimed, "Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa!"_

_However, Angel stepped in between the two combatants. With a single hand, she swatted the binding spell like a fly. After placing her hands together on the hilt of her sword, she glared at the tenth division captain. "I won't let you hurt my sweetheart."_

_"Oi Angel."_

_"I'll make sure to kil-" Without any warning, she felt a cold chill run down her spine. She slowly glanced over her shoulder to meet the glaring eyes of Toshiro Hitsugaya. "S-Sweetheart?"_

_Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulder._

_Realizing what the white haired sword wielder is doing, Yoru tried to stop them. But by the time he caught up, the two allies already disappeared from sight. He cursed under his breath. "Shit."_

_Upon seeing what happened from below, Hinamori wondered, "Where did he go?"_

_"Today was only a preview of what we're truly capable of," said a voice. Hearing Shin's voice, everyone turned their attention to the gathered enemies. Shortly, Angel and Hitsugaya joined them. "The next time we meet, I hope your Captain Commander will be with you. It will make things more satisfying for us once we kill him along with the rest of you."_

_With that said, Seto placed his hands together. After spreading them out horizontally, a small bright green prism appeared. As he is preparing the forbidden kido, Angel noticed the raven haired lieutenant hastily approach them. The grip on her sword suddenly tightened. Knowing that they used to be acquaintances, the pink haired female couldn't help but hate the Soul Reaper for continuously chases her crush. "She doesn't know when to give up on you, cutie."_

_"She really wants to bring my old self back." While the rest of the Gotei 13 followed the young lieutenant's lead, Angel took a quick glance to see the expression on the stoic male's face. "However, it's already too late. The Shiro-chan she once lived with died a long time ago."_

_She smiled in response, content that he remained emotionless in his encounter with his so-called childhood friend. Hirako, Zaraki, and Komamura tried to stop them by launching an attack. However, Seto called out the forbidden kido spell just seconds before he and his allies disappeared from sight. As a result, the captains's attempt to interfere has failed. Kenpachi hissed between his teeth. "They got away."_

_Shinji put his zanpakuto back in its sheath. "There's no point chasing after them; they used Kukanten'i to escape." _

_With his finger and thumb, Kyoraku fixed the position of his hat. "It seems like we're back at square one."_

_At that moment, a Shinigami appeared next to the fifth division lieutenant. Seeing the beaten up vice-captain from the third division, Momo said, "Kira-kun."_

_"Oh my," Gin said. "You look quite battered, Izuru."_

_The blond haired Soul Reaper cracked a small smile and replied, "I'm fine, Ichimaru-san."_

_He then turned his attention to the gathered captains. Soi Fon folded her arms and said, "Well, spit out the news."_

_Izuru nodded in agreement. "Otoribashi-taicho, Muguruma-taicho, Hisagi-fukutaicho, and I recently engaged with two members from Shin's army. We managed to apprehend them."_

_Eyes of several people widened. Yoru questioned, "Really?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_"Rose and Muguruma do have Visord powers," Hirako speculated. "Plus, they were outnumbered. So, it does make sense."_

_"Good," Soi Fon said. "We'll make sure you don't get out of here alive."_

_The second division captain then turned to her former subordinate. _

_"You can handle them, right?"_

_Yoru let out a smirk on his face. "Feel free to help me out if you don't trust my security." _

_"Very well; lock them up in the tenth division until further notice."_

* * *

Hinamori reopened her eyes and replied to the taller lieutenant, "Yeah, I know."

As the two females continued their conversation, Ichimaru looked down and noticed something peculiar. There is a thin piece of paper stuck between Momo's sash and hakama. Curious, the former third division captain quickly snatched it without the young Soul Reaper realizing and checked the contents written on the paper. Seconds later, a grin appeared on his face. "Gin."

The gray haired male quickly slipped the paper into his sleeve. With both hands hidden in his kimono, he asked, "Yes?"

"Are you going to stay here for the night?"

Showing an apologetic smile on his face, Ichimaru replied, "Sorry Rangiku; I have to go back. I've got a few things to tell Urahara."

"Oh okay."

With that said, the wielder of Shinso began parting ways from the two lieutenants. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Take care and don't get killed out there."

Matsumoto frowned and folded her arms. In the meantime, Gin turned his attention to Momo. "See you, Hinamori-chan."

The raven haired girl slowly nodded her head. "Ah yeah..."

He let out his trademark smile and raised his hand up. He waved a bye bye before disappearing off into the night. "Hinamori."

She turned to Rangiku.

"What happened after you were taken away?"

Recalling the recent memory, the fifth division vice-captain let out a sad smile and lowered her head. After a brief moment of silence, she raised her head up and asked, "Is it okay for us to stop by at the tenth division for some tea?"

_"She must have been through a lot. It's probably about her childhood friend,"_ she thought. "Sure, I have no problem with that."

* * *

As they are taking their long journey back to their hideout, Ryoga suddenly stopped. His fellow allies soon noticed and stopped as well. The follower approached his leader and asked, "Shin-sama, why did we have to escape?"

"That's right," Jun agreed. "We had enough strength to take them all down."

"What about our revenge for Leon's death?" Miyu further asked.

The elderly male closed his eyes for a moment before he took a step forward. Once he reopened his eyes, Shin said, "First of all, I have a question for one of you."

He then turned his attention to the loyal member of his army.

"Toshiro."

"Yes," Hitsugaya asked. "Shin-san?"

"What happened to Kotaru?"

Realizing the valid question, everyone else began looking around. Seto said, "Come to think of it, I don't see him around."

"Yeah," Angel agreed. "I thought he would be with you, cutie."

The white haired male lowered his head. After finding the words to say, he replied to his allies, "Kotaru was killed while we were trying to escape."

"What?" Miyu asked. "Did the Shinigami kill him?"

He slowly nodded. "Yes."

As he listened to the conversation, Shin narrowed his eyes at his follower. "Is that so?"

Turning his attention to his superior, Hitsugaya said, "If I tried to help him, I might have died too by their hands."

Suddenly, Ryoga punched the palm of his other hand. "They're unforgivable."

"Speaking about missing people," Tetsuya said, "Eriko and Hibiki should be back by now."

The wielder of ice sighed in defeat. "They're probably captured by the third and ninth divisions; they were facing two Visord captains."

"Toshiro," Shin ordered. "Bring them back."

After giving him a short nod, Hitsugaya began making his way back to Seireitei. In the meantime, Seto asked, "Eh, you're letting him sneak in again? He might not be so lucky this time."

The white haired stopped for a moment and glanced over. He replied, "Considering the circumstances, I'm guessing they'll be jailed in the tenth division."

"The tenth division?" Angel asked. "Why ther-"

Seeing the grin on his face, the realization dawned to her.

"Oh, I remember now. _He_'s there."

"I almost forgot about him," Jun said.

"It's no surprise," Hitsugaya replied. "He's done well blending in up to this point."

With that said, Toshiro resumed his walk. Angel pulled away from the group to give him a heartwarming farewell. "Have a safe trip, sweetie!"

Tetsuya folded his arms over his chest. "You know, Toshiro is never going to return your feelings."

All of a sudden, the pink haired female shot him a glare. "He's just shy."

The nearby members sighed in response to the oblivious female. They soon turned their attention to their leader, who has been silent all this time. Wondering why he's still focused on the direction where Hitsugaya left, Sai asked, "Is there something wrong, Shin-sama?"

After a brief moment of silence, the elder male closed his eyes. As he walked through his crowd of followers, Shin replied, "Let's head back to the hideout."

The army of eight looked at one another before they obediently followed his lead.

* * *

_"I'm home." Just as the white haired boy stepped into the house, a piece of white paper slapped his face. Annoyed for not seeing anything, Toshiro pulled it away to see some inked writing on it. The child raised an eyebrow before he turned his attention to the smiling raven haired girl, who came to greet him. "Welcome back!"_

_The younger Rukongai resident gave her a stern look. Holding out the crumpled paper, he asked, "What the hell is this?"_

_Hinamori took the bag of rice from his hand and turned around. While she walked back into their home, she glanced over her shoulder and replied, "It's a code I made up. Try and figure it out."_

_"A code, huh?" _

_Hitsugaya took a moment to look at the writing once more._

**omuom, ylwasae davn eorofvre nrsfelid etbis**

_Just as she was about to leave him behind, Hinamori heard Hitsugaya mumble something under his breath. "Best friends forever and always, Momo and...I love you."_

_Amazed by his intellect, the peach girl turned around and approached him. After taking hold of his shoulders, she questioned, "Eh, how did you find out so quickly and...Why is your face red?"_

_The white haired boy turned a few shades darker and quickly turned his head away. He sputtered, "I-It's just the reflection of the sunset! A-Anyway, the code is not hard to figure out. The words just need to be unscrambled and read in the reverse order." _

_Slowly, he resumed his attention to her. _

_"As for the extra letters in each word, you just put them together to make a hidden message."_

_Suddenly, a wide smile appeared on her face. "Sugoi, you really are smart!"_

_With a grin on his face, Hitsugaya turned his body to the side and folded his arms. He teased, "At least I'm not absent-minded like you."_

_"Hey!" Momo pouted. "T-That's not true!"_

_"Yes, it is."_

_"Oh Toshiro." Recognizing her voice, the two childhood friends turned to see Obaa-san join them. "You're back already?"_

_Her grandson nodded his head. "I got the rice you wanted."_

_The elderly woman smiled. After approaching the white haired boy, she placed her hand on the top of his head. "Arigato."_

_Hitsugaya smiled back in response. Once she put her hand down and left, the boy glanced over to see Hinamori's smiling as well. "What are you so happy about?"_

_"I'm just thankful to be a part of this family. If Obaa-san didn't take me in that night, I would still be on the street." _

_"You still remember that?" _

_She nodded in agreement. "I also remember our first meeting."_

_He suddenly gave her a look as if there was something on her face. "...and that too." _

_"What?" the raven haired girl asked. "Don't you remember it?" _

_"It happened a long time ago." _

_"Yeah, but it was memorable." Toshiro shook his head and began walking away. "I'm sure you remember it too. Besides, it did happen almost a year ago."_

_Momo lowered her head for a moment before she raised it up again._

_"I love you."_

_Suddenly, the white haired boy froze on the spot. Just as he glanced over his shoulder, Hinamori could see the redness in his cheeks. "D-Don't say those things; it's embarrassing!" _

_"I don't see anything embarrassing about telling your friend I love you."_

_Toshiro then turned his attention away from the raven haired girl. Because they were a few steps apart, she could faintly hear her childhood friend say, "A friend, huh?" _

_"Hey, are you upset?" Momo asked. "Is it because something I said?" _

_After a long moment of silence, the boy continued walking. He stubbornly replied, "I'm not telling you." _

_"Oh, come on!" Hinamori followed his lead. "Tell me the truth." _

_"Never."_

_"Pretty please?" He stopped walking for a moment to give her a look. "I won't judge you." _

_He soon sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you..."_

_As she anxiously waited for his answer, Hitsugaya suddenly let out a sinister smirk. _

_"...after I'm dead."_

_"Mou, Shiro-chan!" _

_"For the last time, stop calling me by that ridiculous nickname!"_

* * *

Momo slowly opened her eyes to find herself resting on the table by the framed windows. Wondering where she is, she raised her head and looked around. _"The tenth division office, huh?"_

Then, she noticed a familiar mope of strawberry orange hair behind several empty jugs of sake. Seeing that she got drunk and fell asleep, the fifth division lieutenant sighed and watched the scenery outside through the window. As she watched the glittering stars in night sky, Hinamori recalled her conversation with Matsumoto.

**_"Hinamori, I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything. Please think about this carefully..." _**

She placed a hand over her chest as she pondered those words in her head.

**_"...Right now, are you really just thinking of him as your childhood friend?"_**

However, her thoughts were soon interrupted by the opening slide door. Momo jumped and turned around to see the tenth division captain. "Y-Yoru-taicho!"

"Hinamori, what are you doing here?" The dark haired Soul Reaper stepped into the office. After closing the door behind him, he approached her. "It's late, you know."

"Hmm..." The two co-workers glanced over to the sleeping vice-captain. "Don't touch me there..."

"Oh dear, she's drunk." Yoru sighed in defeat. "I guess you were having some girl talk."

Momo let out a faint smile and slowly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's something like that."

"Are you alright? You look worried about something."

"It's about Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Yoru suddenly put his hands into his sleeves and looked away. "Oh, that guy. He used to live with you when he was alive."

Again, she nodded her head before she lowered it. "I'm...still finding it hard to accept of what he has become."

Suddenly, she felt something on her shoulder. By the time she raised her head, Momo was turned around so that she is facing the taller Soul Reaper. "Hinamori, do you remember when Aizen betrayed us?"

The fifth division Shinigami hesitated. "Yes, I do."

"It's pretty much the same thing."

"So, you're saying that I should treat him as an enemy now?"

With a short nod, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Momo then froze at the sudden display of affection. "I know you'll get over it just like what happened with Aizen."

"I reall-"

"I care about you, Hinamori."

The lieutenant's eyes widened with astonishment. Her heart raced, pumping blood all the way to her pinkish cheeks. "I-I should get going now."

She suddenly broke away from the captain and hurried over to the door. "Do you want me to walk you back?"

Momo stopped and opened the slide door.

"No, it's alright. Thank you for the offer."

With that said, the fifth division lieutenant left the office. Once the door closed, Yoru placed his hand over his face and sighed in defeat. Then, he heard a loud groan. "Taicho, what are you doing in my room?"

Recognizing her voice, the dark haired captain put his hand down and looked over to see his sleepy vice-captain. "It's about time you woke up, Rangiku. You're in the offic-"

He soon noticed the woman looking around.

_"She's not listening."_

"Where's Hinamori?"

Putting his hands into his sleeves he replied, "She just left."

"I see." Suddenly, she slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "So, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be looking after the prisoners?"

Yoru then walked over to his desk. "Yes, but I needed to get something from here to entertain myself."

"Oh..."

After picking up a thick book from the top pile, he carried it over to the door. He stopped for a moment and said, "When I come back here, you better have cleaned up your mess."

"Hai..."

* * *

Hibiki and Eriko were quietly sitting in their cell, meditating when they heard a noise. They opened their eyes and lifted their heads to see a hooded figure at the door. Recognizing the zanpakuto he's carrying on his back, the two allies smirked. As the known intruder approached their cell to pick on the lock, Hibiki said, "It took you long enough to get here."

The hooded person stopped for a moment to shoot him a glare, revealing his emerald-teal eyes. After he resumed to completing his task, he said, "Oh, shut up. Be thankful that Shin-san didn't abandon you."

Suddenly, everyone heard a soft click. Toshiro opened the cell and entered. As he approached them, he drew her Hyorinmaru from its sheath.

"Hold out your hands." After doing as they were told, Hitsugaya swung his sword down and up. As a result, he sliced the binding kido in half. Once Hibiki and Eriko are released, Toshiro placed his free hand on the two sheaths resting under his sash. He then tossed the sealed blades to their respective owners. After he put his sword back into its sheath, he said, "Let's get out of here before the Soul Reapers arrive."

"Can we not do that?" Hibiki asked as he and Eriko walked past their rescuer. "We haven't done enough damage to them."

"I'm sure we'll get another chance," the female replied as they stepped out of the cell. "Besides, Shin-sama sent Toshiro to bail us out."

"Speaking about him..." They stopped for a moment and turned to their white haired ally. "Are you coming or no-"

Without any warning, a blast of purple spiritual energy flew into their faces. Before long, the kido exploded into hot flames. Both victims fell to the ground and tried to put out the fire. However, the flames began spreading down their bodies. "Hado Number 54: Haien."

Realizing the one responsible for the assault, Hibiki opened his eyes to see the culprit's face. However, he couldn't see him properly through the flames. He cursed, "You bastard, what's...Argh, what's the meaning of thi-AHHH!"

All of a sudden, he cringed in pain. With Eriko following his actions in a similar fashion, she exclaimed, "Y-You'll pay for this!"

However, the white haired male just stood and watched their bodies turn into a crisp. After a few minutes, Toshiro closed his eyes and turned around. As he began leaving the room, a smirk appeared on his lips. "If you have any complaints, ask Shin-san. He's the one who sent me to kill you."

Just as he stepped out into the empty hall of the tenth division headquarters, Hitsugaya heard the siren go off. Knowing that it is his cue to leave, he got ready to use flash step. However, he was soon stopped by a single tug on his wrist. Just as he is about to strike the person with his backhand, Toshiro suddenly ceased his attack at the sight of the fifth division lieutenant. "Shiro-chan."

From under his hood, he gave her a stern look before he turned his head away. "You're very persistent, Momo Hinamori. You must really want to be my hostage."

"It is the only way to stay close to you."

Curious, he looked over his shoulder to read the pleading expression on her face. "You still think you can save me?"

"Yes, I do," Hinamori replied. "It's because I care about you..."

She lowered her head for a moment to recollect her thoughts. By the time she's ready, she further explained her previous statement.

"...a lot in the past, but I never understood my emotions and treated you like family. It is after your death I began to realize how much you really mean to me. The thought of never hearing you call me Bed-Wetter anymore or waking you up in the morning or eating fresh watermelon together in front of the sunset or lots of other things that I can't seem to recall at the moment...makes me really sad." She raised her head and took a step forward. Momo declared, "Despite how many years passed, I can't seem to get over the loss."

Then, tears began appearing in the corner of her eyes.

"Do you get what I'm trying to say, Toshiro Hitsugaya?"

The white haired male sighed in defeat. Fed up with hearing the same plea, he looked away and retorted, "Will you stop talking already? You sound like a broken reco-"

"I love you."

He suddenly fell silent.

"After so long, I-I finally understand why my world turns upside down when...whenever I think about you and the times we've shared." Momo released his wrist and raised both hands over the centre of her chest. She continued, "So, please...forget about taking revenge on the Gotei 13 and come back to me."

Hinamori paused to see his reaction. However, he didn't move a single muscle. She tried to persuade him again.

"We can go back to those peaceful days we cherished so much." Once more, he didn't answer. "Are you even listenin-"

All of a sudden, Hitsugaya turned around and grabbed her shoulder. With considerable force, he pushed her all the way to the wall. She winced in pain. By the time she raised her head to see what is going on, he leaned over to capture her lips with his own.

Her eyes widened with astonishment. Her heart raced like never before, causing her face to feel a hundred degrees hotter. As much as she would like to drift into cloud mine and return the sentiment, many questions flooded her thoughts which all revolved around one main point: why is he kissing her? Is it an act to trick her or is it what he truly feels? Which of the two is the truth? But before she can come up with an explanation and act upon it, Toshiro slowly pulled away. Quietly, he raised his head so that their eyes meet: emerald-teal and chocolate brown.

"Shiro...chan?"

After remaining silent for so long, he finally said, "Come with me."

* * *

**Japanese World Translations**

_**Zanpakuto** _- Soul Cutter, _**Kido**_ - Demon Arts, _**Reiatsu -** _Spiritual Pressure, _**Zankensoki** _- Soul Reaper's basic fighting techniques, _**Shinigami** _- Soul Reaper, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Fukutaicho**_ - Lieutenant/Vice-Captain, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Obaa-san -**_ Grandmother,_** Arigato**_ - Thank You,_** Hai** _- Yes**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Did he kiss her out of love or is it an act? What is the Gotei 13 going to do next and what is Ichimaru up to? Well, stay tuned to read what happens next! Please review! Thanks.


	10. Place of Memories

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update of Unforgettable. Thank you to everyone for being so patient especially my awesome reviewers:** Shirraz78, TUranzaRE711, Vicky-chan16, Guest, squirtlepokemon215, Reader-Favs, skylark dragonstar, TheFayrinaTale, becomeafan, Syl The tWins, toshirolovehim, Orchid, Guest 2, ShiraChan-Desu, Cody **_(x2)**, **_and **Sabel. **_**  
**_

_Re-cap of the previous chapter_: After a lot of thinking, Momo finally confesses her feelings to Toshiro only to receive a kiss from him. Confused whether his actions are geunine or a lie, he gave her a choice to follow him.

What is going to happen next? Well, read and find out! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _**Written Code.**_ Flash Back. **Short Flash Back.**  
_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Nine**: Place of Memories

As they observed members of the twelfth division investigate every single inch of the detention room, Captain Yoru and Lieutenant Matsumoto turned their attention to the decapitated bodies of their prisoners which are being carried out. The strawberry orange haired woman narrowed her eyes before she asked, "Do you suppose one of us had a grudge against Shin and his army? Then, he acted on his own accord to kill them?"

"That's nonsense," Yoru answered. "Since the last group of traitors, we made sure no one else would try the same thing. I think there is internal conflict within Shin's group. This is an opportunity for us to strike back."

"Even if you're right, we still don't know where to find them," Rangiku said. "Also, what if it is a trap?"

"You have a point," he quickly replied. "We need to think about this calmly."

After she nodded her head, the female Soul Reaper noticed her superior raise his hand to bite on his thumbnail. In all her years serving him, she knows something is bothering him whenever he does that habit. "Captain, you're a bit riled up. Is there something wrong?"

At first, Yoru gave Rangiku a look. However, it didn't take long for him to drop the expression and approach her. Once he is close enough, he put his hand into the front of his kimono and pulled out familiar item. "Actually, I found this."

After a closer look at the accessory, Matsumoto recognized who it belongs to and snatched the item from his hand. "Wait a minute; this is Hinamori's hair clip. How did she get involved in this?"

"I don't know," her captain replied. "She was supposed to head back to her division."

Rangiku offered a small smile. "Don't beat yourself; let's go and look around for clues of her whereabouts."

Yoru sighed in defeat. "Alright."

* * *

Quietly, they watched their orange haired student draw red circles around certain areas on a map of Karakura Town. Once she is done, Orihime pulled back and happily exclaimed, "Okay, I'm done!"

With that said, Ichigo; Uryu; Chad; Kisuke; and Yoruichi leaned over to get a closer look at the laminated paper on the table. Urahara said, "So, these are all the places you found traces of Hitsugaya's reiatsu."

"Yeah, that's right."

Everyone then pulled back to their seats. "I see."

"Inoue, can you pass me the marker?" Ishida asked. After giving him a short nod, Orihime gave him the writing utensil. Using it, he drew X's over two of his schoolmate's circles. He explained, "Out of those places, these two are the presence are the most strongest."

"Karasu River and Kurosaki-kun's house," Inoue said.

"It is likely that he usually visits these areas."

"For what reason?"

Ishida folded his arms over his chest. "It's easy to determine why he's usually at Kurosaki's, but I'm still trying to figure out why he's usually at Karasu River."

"He's there to do some plotting," replied a voice.

Recognizing who it belongs to, heads turned to see the familiar face of the former third division captain. Ichigo jerked back and exclaimed, "What the hell? Since when were you standing there?"

"Oh Ichimaru, you're back already?" Urahara asked.

Gin let out an amusing grin. "That's right; I learned a lot during my trip back to Soul Society."

"What did you mean Toshiro-kun was plotting whenever he's at Karasu River?" Inoue asked.

"After some research, the Gotei 13 discovered Shin's army once lived in Rukongai and died due to Hollow attacks."

"That explains their motive to take revenge on the Gotei 13," Chad said.

"They were revived by Shin, who used forbidden kido on them."

"It explains everything except about Toshiro's visits to Karasu River," Kurosaki replied.

"Hold your horses," Ichimaru said. "I was getting to that part. According to Kurotsuchi, Shin altered their memories so that they only remember about their deaths. When I fought him in our second encounter, I noticed his strange movements."

"Strange movements?" Yoruichi asked.

"At the time, one of his allies came to rescue him after Hitsugaya-kun was captured. While they were escaping, he allowed me to kill his ally."

"That is strange," Ishida said. "Why would he do that?"

"It's obvious," Ichimaru replied. "He wants his allies dead. For him to have that motive, he must know something that they don't. In other words, it's possible that he remembers his past life."

"I see," Urahara said. "Then, the reason he's usually at Karasu River was to stay away from his allies in case they discover the truth about him."

"How did you know all this, Ichimaru-san?" Orihime asked.

"I gave it some thought..." Gin took a moment to stuff his hand into his right kimono sleeve and hold out a thin piece of paper. "...after reading this."

Wondering what's written on it, everyone got on their knees and leaned over.

**wottn kaurkuaar, tpoar ksmaes dni pilp stirsiph**

Then, they looked at the former Gotei 13. Ichigo asked, "What in the world do those words mean?"

Ichimaru merely grinned. "Hitsugaya-kun is one sneaky genius."

* * *

"Oi Kurotsuchi," Kyoraku hollered as he and Ukitake entered into the twelfth division captain's laboratory. "Are you in here?"

"Uruse," Mayuri retorted as he is typing away on his computer. "You're too noisy. If you have some business with me, spit it out. I'm busy."

"Now now," Shunsui said. "There's not need to give us the cold shoulder."

"We're here to see if you have discovered anything new about Shin and his army," Jushiro replied.

"After inspecting the two bodies, it is just as we speculated. Shin indeed revived his followers using forbidden kido," Mayuri explained.

"Anything else?"

As pressing a few more keys, Kurotsuchi pressed the enter button. "This."

He then raised his head to see the large monitor change screens. Following his lead, the elderly captains did the same. Then, a short clip began playing. Though it was considerably damaged, they can see a hooded figure leaving the tenth division detention room.

Mayuri turned around to face the other captains. He folded his arms and retorted, "If he didn't destroyed the camera, I would have gotten more footage of the event."

Ukitake turned his attention to the scientist. "So, this is all you managed to recover?"

"Much to my dismay, it's a yes."

"At least this clip will help us identify the one responsible for killing the prisoners we captured."

"Kurotsuchi, did you see this clip yet?" Kyoraku asked while watching the monitor.

Mayuri gave the older captain an annoyed look on his face and replied, "I just spent the past three hours trying to recover the damn thing."

"In that case, I have something to show you." With that said, the eighth division captain pointed his finger at the screen. "Look."

Wondering what he meant, the two captains turned their attention to the clip. They saw the murderer of Eriko and Hibiki about to escape, but was stopped by a certain raven haired lieutenant. Ukitake's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, isn't that Hinamori-kun?"

"Hn," Kurotsuchi said. "It seems we have a traitor on our side."

* * *

After Ryoga shuffled back and forth several times, he stopped to face his allies who are busy watching Tetsuya type away on his laptop. "Argh, are you done yet?"

He stopped for a moment and shot him a glare. "I'm not a miracle worker."

"Well, hurry u-" All of a sudden, he noticed Tetsuya and his other acquaintances ignoring him. "You guys aren't even listening!"

"There, I finally hacked into Mayuri Kurotsuchi's so called secret camera network."

"Great job!" Miyu said.

"Let me see!" Ryoga exclaimed as he quickly got behind Sai to get a good look at the laptop screen.

"Now, let's find out where Toshiro is at the moment." After pressing several keys, pop ups began appearing on the screen. Tetsuya said, "I don't see hi-"

"Wait!" Jun interrupted as he pointed his finger towards the top right of the laptop screen. "Over there!"

They saw their hooded ally navigating through the underground sewers beneath Seireitei.

"He's not with Hibiki or Eriko," Sai said. Following close behind Hitsugaya is another hooded figure. Sai narrowed his eyes suspiciously before a thought dawned to him. "He's with that hostage he brought here a few days ago."

"What?" Without any warning, Angel forcefully pushed over Jun and Miyu off their seats so that she can get a better look at the screen over Tetsuya's shoulder. Once she noticed the fifth division lieutenant walking behind her beloved, she hissed between her teeth. "Why is she with him?"

"Relax," Jun said. "Toshiro is just messing with her feelings. That way, it will be easier for him to fulfill our mission."

Feeling frustrated, the pink haired girl bit onto the side of her pointer finger. She grumbled, "Yeah, but still...I hate her."

"They just got out of the sewers and passed the black ridge gate to North Rukongai," Miyu said. "We won't be able to watch him anymore."

"Damn, why couldn't that scientist put up cameras all over Soul Society?" Ryoga complained.

"Even he has his limits."

"That's bullshit!"

"What's bullshit?"

Recognizing his voice, heads turned to the side where their leader is standing. They said in unison, "Shin-sama!"

"When did you come back from your wa-" All of a sudden, everyone noticed a strange vibe coming out from the old man's body. It sent chills running up their spines. "...w-walk."

"Not too long ago," Shin replied with a smirk. "I heard enough to give one of you an order."

"What is it?" Jun questioned.

He then turned his attention to the pink haired female. She let out a high pitched squeak, intimidated by his presence. "Angel, go escort him back."

Suddenly, she blinked. Though it took a while to register the request in her thoughts, she cheered, "Really? Yay, I get to pick up my cutie!"

She jumped off her seat and happily skipped towards the exit of the warehouse.

"I can't wait!"

Before long, she left her remaining nine allies behind. Shin sighed in defeat and shook his head. "I didn't even finish giving her orders."

"Don't worry Shin-sama," Ryoga said. "She'll be back with Toshiro in no time. Otherwise, she'll try to go on a date with him."

Suddenly, the other male allies snorted. Sai said, "Angel can try all she wants, but what are the chances of that happening? Never."

With that said, the males burst out in laughter. In the meantime, Shin turned his body to the side and began walking away. He has better things to worry about than hang around with his followers. Under his breath, he muttered, "Idiots..."

* * *

_"We can go back to those peaceful days we cherished so much." Once more, he didn't answer. "Are you even listenin-"_

_All of a sudden, Hitsugaya turned around and grabbed her shoulder. With considerable force, he pushed her all the way to the wall. She winced in pain. By the time she raised her head to see what is going on, he leaned over to capture her lips with his own._

_Her eyes widened with astonishment._

* * *

As she blankly stared at her childhood friend, who is walking ahead, Momo placed her fingertips over her soft lips. Despite how much time passed, she could still feel a warm tingle there. _"It's not a dream, but..."_

She put her hand down and continued walking.

_"...I still don't know if his actions are real or a big lie."_

Hinamori closed her eyes and sighed in defeat. Even though she took up on his offer to leave Seireitei with him, she is starting to have second thoughts. The last thing she wants is to get hurt again by someone she cared about.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the path she came from._ "I wonder if they realized I'm gone."_

Suddenly, she heard some laughing voices nearby. Hinamori stopped for a moment to see two children (each holding a bag of rice) running towards them: a girl and a boy. As she followed them with her eyes, Momo saw Toshiro. He also stopped to watch the children. The moment they passed by, her eyes widened. She began seeing the familiar faces of their younger selves. "I'm going to beat you!"

"Not by a long shot!" the boy exclaimed.

They ran until they stopped in front of a young woman. The girl raised her arms and cheered, "Yay! I win again!"

"No, you didn't!" the boy complained. "I won this time!"

"I was here a second earlier than you!"

"How would you know that?"

"I saw you!"

Seeing them bicker put a smile on the raven haired lieutenant's face.

_"Shiro-chan, are you thinking the same thing as I am?"_ she wondered. _"We were just like them once."_

Momo then turned to see her childhood friend only to lose the expression on her lips. She saw deep sadness and pain in his emerald-teal eyes; the same eyes she looked into moments before she lost him many years ago.

**_He slowly raised his right hand up. Feeling the warmth of her hand placed around his, he weakly said, "Bed...Wetter..."_**

Feeling the hot tears swell in her eyes, Hinamori hastily raised her arm and wiped them away with her sleeve. She couldn't understand: why did she truly believe she was with the boy she remembered in that moment?

All of a sudden, she felt something grab onto her wrist. She gasped and lowered her arm to see white haired male pull her into a nearby forest. Once they are out of public view, he turned around and pushed her against the tree trunk. With his arms over her shoulders and their bodies pressed together, Momo blushed. Even though he did this once before, she still can't get used to the intimate contact.

She looked over to see the serious Hitsugaya looking out for something. He said, "Lower your reiatsu and do not mo-"

All of a sudden, the two childhood friends widened their eyes in astonishment. Sensing the familiar spiritual presence nearby, Toshiro glanced over his shoulder to see a large two headed chimera-like Hollow. The masked beast roared as it raised its claw high above their heads. Just as the fallen soul commenced its attack, Hitsugaya and Hinamori jumped out of the way and back onto the streets. The Hollow ended up breaking several tree trunks instead.

As they are both on one knee, they brief glanced to see the surrounding citizens running for their lives. Momo and Toshiro then removed their zanpakutos from its sheaths, getting ready for battle. Together, they watched the masked beast come out from the safety of the forest. It let out a fierce roar which generated enough force to blow their hoods down to their shoulders. However, it didn't faze them.

Momo quickly stood up. With both her hands gripped onto the hilt of zanpakuto, she exclaimed, "Hajike, Tobiume!"

Once the blade transformed, she swung her sword across and sent several fireballs towards the enemy. It made contact and exploded in the Hollow's face. As the beast cried out in pain, Hitsugaya launched himself towards his opponent.

With both hands on his sword, he prepared to give the Hollow the finishing blow. However, he sensed a surge of spiritual energy rapidly coming at him. Thinking quickly, he planted a foot on the ground. As he is braking, Toshiro turned around to see the lightning type spiritual energy. He raised his zanpakuto and redirected the attack to hit his side. With his eyes on the one responsible, he heard his initial target cry out in pain until its voice died out in the wind.

Wondering what he is looking at, Hinamori glanced over to see a pair of familiar faces. She gasped. "Rangiku-san!"

"Hinamori!" the strawberry orange haired lieutenant called out.

Before she could say anything else, Matsumoto watched her captain draw his sword and point its blade towards the white haired male. He said, "I should have known you are responsible for kidnapping Hinamori, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Let her go!"

Hitsugaya hissed between his teeth. He raised Hyorinmaru up in prepare to retaliate if necessary.

"If it's a fight you want, you got it!"

Suddenly, everyone heard a series of roars. They all looked over their shoulders to see many masked beasts in their presence. As the Hollows approached them, the sword wielders turned around and slowly stepped back. Before long, their backs made contact with something soft. Rangiku and Momo glanced over to see that they all are now back to back. Matsumoto drew her Haineko and resumed her attention to the front. She said, "Well, this is a funny predicament."

Yoru hissed between his teeth. "They just had to interfere. Now, we have to get rid of them first."

The older lieutenant looked over at Momo and asked, "Hinamori, are you alright?"

The raven haired girl slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I am."

As he listened attentively to the girls, the tenth division captain to see Toshiro focused on the Hollows in front of him. He looked down at his zanpakuto and then back at him once more. Afterwards, he glanced at the young fifth division lieutenant. He leaned further back and whispered in her ear, "Hinamori, we'll keep him busy; use this opportunity to escape."

In response to his words, Momo's eyes widened. After all she went through, is she really going to leave her childhood friend's side? She lowered her head, covering her eyes with her bangs. "I-I'm sorry, Yoru-taicho...but I can't."

Surprised to hear her say that, Rangiku and Yoru looked at the Soul Reaper from the fifth division. "Why?"

"Because..." She glanced over her shoulder to look at them directly in their eyes. "I lost him once; I'm not losing him again."

As a result, a grin appeared on Toshiro's face. Yoru then turned his attention to the white haired male and exclaimed, "You bastard, you manipulated her!"

"What makes you think I manipulated her?" Hitsugaya replied. "I didn't do anything to harm her."

"Your tricks don't work on me. You are the enemy."

"Even if I am the enemy, it doesn't mean I'm a liar. What if this is what she chooses?"

Then, he turned his attention to what the Hollow in front of him is doing. Unable to accept it, the tenth division captain said, "Hinamori knows better than to betray Soul Society. She'll be labeled a traitor!"

"I-I understand the consequences of doing this," Momo replied. "However...t-this is something I have to do!"

_"Hinamori." _

Yoru was at a loss for words. Her words, her actions, her feelings; what she is doing is just like what happened when she was still serving under the former fifth division captain_. _He glanced over to see the back of his white haired enemy. The grip on his zanpakuto tightened as ever. Convinced that he is responsible for her actions, Yoru removed a hand from his sword hilt. After changing grip on it, he thrust the sword down his side.

As he expected to feel the blade tip pierce into something, he felt something grab onto his wrist. He glanced over his shoulder to meet Toshiro's glaring eyes. "Just because my eyes are somewhere else, it doesn't mean I don't see what you're doing."

Yoru narrowed his eyes in response. Though he failed this time, he's not going to let the younger male get away. Then, he heard a noise.

Hitsugaya looked over to see one of the Hollows about to slam its claw down on them. Using flash step, he quickly disappeared from the group and got in front of the attacking masked beast. With a fast swing of his sword, he sliced the Hollow in half. However, his attack didn't stop there. Toshiro quickly took a sidestep and got in front of the Hollow Momo was facing. Then, he turned around to face his childhood friend.

At that moment, Hinamori became confused. Why did he turn his back on the Hollow when he had the chance to kill it? However, her thoughts were quickly interrupted at the sight of the masked beast raising its claw to strike Hitsugaya. Her eyes widened as a memory from long ago flashed in her mind.

* * *

_"Run Hinamori!" Upon hearing his voice, she looked over to see her bleeding friend calling out to her. "Run!"_

_However, she didn't. Her eyes were too focused on another Hollow that is standing behind the white haired boy. Just as the beast raised its claw, she immediately cried, "Shiro-chan!"_

* * *

Determined not to relive the horrible experience, Momo quickly launched another fireball from her blade. It flew past Toshiro's shoulder and exploded in the Hollow's face. As the beast agonized in pain, Hitsugaya placed the palm of his hands down on the ground. "Bakudo Number 21: Sekienton!"

As a result, red smoke burst from the point of contact and engulf the surrounding area. Rangiku and Yoru raised their arms up to prevent themselves from inhaling the smoke. Seconds later, the smoke blew away with a strong gust of wind. Once they looked again, Hinamori and Hitsugaya were nowhere to be found. The tenth division captain suddenly cursed under his breath. "Damn, he got us."

"We'll go after him once we finish dealing with the Hollows," Matsumoto said as she raised her sword to defend against the masked beasts. "Okay, Captai-"

When she glanced at her superior, the vice-captain suddenly sensed strong spiritual pressure emitting from his body. After years of serving under him, she could tell that he's very angry.

"Captain..."

"No matter how long it takes, I'll find and personally kill you," Yoru threatened. "Toshiro Hitsugaya."

**_"Hinamori, I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything. Please think about this carefully. Right now, are you really just thinking of him as your childhood friend?"_**

Rangiku looked over at the spot where the fifth division lieutenant once stood._ "It seems like you have made your choice, Hinamori."_

* * *

She panted, seeking for breath each time she took another step forward. Before long, Momo couldn't take it any longer and collapsed on her knees. As she is catching her breath, she raised her head to see the back of her childhood friend. Judging from the motion of his shoulders, he too is out of breath from glanced over her shoulder to see the direction they came from. _"We must have ran about ten or fifteen kilometres away from Yoru-taicho and Rangiku-san." _

Then, she heard a sound. She resumed her attention to the front to see Hitsugaya put away his zanpakuto back into its sheath on his back. After putting his hood over his head, he looked back at her. The moment their eyes met, Momo blushed and looked away. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest in response to the vivid image of their first kiss that burned into her thoughts. After taking another look at him, she saw the taller male started walking again.

_"I've followed you just like you wanted," _she wondered._ "Isn't that enough for you to tell me what is really going on or...am I just a fool for falling into your trap?" _

Slowly, she got back on her feet. She put her zanpakuto back in its sheath and pulled up her hood. When she's ready, Hinamori took a deep breath and started following him again.

After a few minutes of walking, Momo became aware of her surroundings: the roads, the people, and the building structures. _"This place...it looks familiar." _

Suddenly, a thought dawned to her. As a result, she looked back and forth.

_"That right; this is Junrin'an._ _We got out of Seireitei through the black ridge gate to North Rukongai. After our encounter with Rangiku-san and Yoru-taicho in District One, we ran all the way here."_

Then, she turned her attention to Hitsugaya. Hinamori folded her arms and took a moment to think. Shortly, she sighed in defeat.

She asked, "W-Where exactly are we going?"

All of a sudden, Toshiro stopped to glance over his shoulder.

"I-Is it Shin's hideout?"

He just turned his body to the front. After a brief moment of silence, he slowly raised his head and answered, "Our place of memories."

Momo blinked. Wondering what he meant, she too raised her head only to meet with a familiar structure which stood on the other side of the bridge they are about to cross. It is the place that connects her to the past; the wonderful memories that she and her childhood friend once shared.

"Obaa-san's house..."

* * *

**Japanese Word Translations  
**

**_Reiatsu_ **- Spiritual Pressure,_** Kido** -_ Demon Arts,_** Uruse**_ - Shut Up,_** Zanpakuto **_- Soul Cutter,_** Taicho** _- Captain,** Obaa-san **- Grandmother**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Interesting development, huh? What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned to my next update! Until then, please review! Thanks a bunch!


	11. Suffocate

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Bleach_ in any way! All copyrights of this series and its characters goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Unforgettable! Thank you everyone for being so patient over these past few weeks especially my wonderful reviewers:** icyangel27, Shirraz78, HitsuHinalover, hailey-shiro** _(x10)_**, ShiraChan-Desu, TUranzaRE711, TheFayrinaTale, squirtlepokemon215, Reader-Favs, becomeafan, Sabel, **and** Vegetable lov3r.**

In the previous chapter, members of the Gotei 13 investigate the incident in the tenth division only to find out Momo is somehow involved. Back in the living world, Ichigo and the others are trying to figure out Toshiro's motives when Ichimaru returns with some interesting news. In the meantime, Hitsugaya and Hinamori escaped from Captain Yoru and Matsumoto only to stop at the house they once lived together...

I apologize ahead of time, this chapter was supposed to be longer. However, I decided to cut it a bit short because of special reasons. You'll know why by the time you finish reading this chapter. Anyways, happy reading and enjoy!  


* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.__  
_

* * *

**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Ten:** Suffocate

The assembly hall gates slowly closed shut on the gathered elite Soul Reapers inside. His cane slammed between his legs, sending echoes throughout the room. With all the murmurs and laughs silenced, the present captains and vice-captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads turned their attention to the Captain Commander.

"Several days ago, we engaged in combat with a former Soul Reaper named Shin," Yamamoto announced, "and his army of followers. As stated in the released report, Shin was one of my former acquaintances from long ago. Charged for treason, he was sentenced to exile. However, he threatened to return one day and destroy the Gotei 13."

"Well, he kept his word on that," Kyoraku said.

"Yes, he did. After our last encounter, take note that Shin is not like the other enemies we've fought previously. We are dealing with a man with vast amount of knowledge in zankensoki, the way our government runs, and the enemies we've faced," he explained. "Furthermore, he has built the necessary military power to counter us using a technique that was once frequently used in the old days: reviving the dead."

"After conducting some research and experimentation," Kurotsuchi explained, "it is confirmed that Shin's followers used to be Rukongai residents in their past lives and died due to Hollow attac-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the tenth division captain suddenly said, "but we have other matters to deal with. Besides, everyone should have already read the report by now."

"I know, but we do have some idiots in this room that doesn't do it at all," Mayuri replied as he briefly glanced at a certain eleventh division captain.

Zaraki hissed between his teeth. "Do you want to fight?"

"Now everyone," Ukitake said. "We're not here to fight amongst one another. We're here to prepare for our next encounter with our enemies..."

"...and figure out what to do with Hinamori," Soi Fon added. "She betrayed us."

"Momo wouldn't do that without a reason," Hirako pointed out.

"I agree," Yoru said. "I think it's because of Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya?" Komamura asked. "You mean the one who escaped from Maggot's Nest?"

Yoru nodded his head. "Apparently, Hitsugaya used to live with Hinamori in his previous life."

"So, you think he manipulated her to follow him," Kensei concluded.

"Yes."

"Alright; I heard enough," Yamamoto said. "From now on, all members of the Gotei 13 are to carry their swords at all times and prepare for next encounter with enemy."

The Captain Commander then turned his attention to Yoru.

"The tenth division will be dispatched to search for Vice-Captain Momo Hinamori. If you encounter Toshiro Hitsugaya, apprehend him at once."

"Yes sir."

_"Apprehend him, huh?"_ Matsumoto thought. _"I'm sure Hinamori will be there to stop that from happening."_

Yamamoto slammed his cane on the ground. "You are all dismissed!"

* * *

"Hn, so this is the place where the Visords usually hang out," Ichimaru said to his allies who are on the lookout for any activity from the abandoned warehouse. "It's pretty rundow-"

He was soon cut off by a raised hand from Uryu Ishida. "We need you to be quiet. It's possible that one of them has keen hearing."

"Do you sense anything from inside?" Ichigo asked Yoruichi.

She nodded. "Yeah, the information we got is accurate."

"It's similar to the ones you fought before, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime agreed.

"I can also sense two barriers," Ishida said. "One of them is surrounding them. The other is used for something else."

"It's probably for the Visords," Chad suggested. "They could be trapped."

With a short nod, Ichigo raised his hand over his shoulder. Just as he is about to reach for the zanpakuto on his back, Yoruichi extended her hand out in front. After getting his attention, she said, "We will inform Kisuke and the Gotei 13 of our discovery. Right now, we're not prepared to fight Shin and his army."

"By the time we come back, they might not even be alive," Ichigo replied.

"There's no need to get hasty," Ichimaru said, getting his attention. "We're only told to confirm Hitsugaya-kun's information. Plus, I don't even sense his presence in there. I think it's best to wait for him to return and see what he plans to do next."

"I think so too," the ponytail haired woman agreed.

Kurosaki scratched the side of his head and sighed in defeat. "Fine; let's investigate the area a little longer before we return to Urahara's place."

* * *

The door creaked as it opened, slowly revealing the wonders inside. The once comfy home they lived and shared many wonderful memories in has aged along with the many years of quietness. The only company it had was the accumulated dust and occasional wind draft from the broken windows.

Momo stepped into the house and looked around. Though it took a while to adjust her eyes to the darkness, everything appeared to be right where it was left. After she reached the other side of the large room, she turned to see something. Recognizing it, Hinamori pointed a finger and fired a small kido which suddenly illuminated the place. She was right; that spot is the place where they always cooked and ate their meals.

_"Momo! Toshiro, it's time to eat!"_

_Hearing their grandmother's voice, two children came into the room. One of them hurriedly ran over to her side while the other took his time. Seeing what her friend is doing, the pigtailed haired girl called out, "Hurry Shiro-chan, the food's going to get cold!"_

_The boy scratched the side of his head and sighed in minor frustration. _

_By the time he caught up, he gave his friend a stern look. "Oi, how many times do I have to keep reminding you? Stop calling me by that stupid nickname."_

_After receiving her bowl of cooked rice from Obaa-san, the raven haired girl replied, "Okay, I promise to stop calling you that from now on."_

_"That's what you said last time..." Toshiro paused for a moment to receive his bowl. "...and the many times before that."_

_Momo placed a finger on her chin, trying to recall those moments. "Hn, is that so? I don't really remember saying that."_

_"Oi, you just said that yesterday."_

_"Now children," their grandmother said. "Enough with the arguing and eat your dinner."_

_Despite their different attitudes responding to her, the children said in unison, "Hai."_

Feeling nostalgic, she looked over at the corner where the stack of dusty futons is placed. Slowly, she walked over. As she placed her hand on the soft material, she began reminiscing once more.

_"Shiro-chan. Shiro-chan." The white haired boy groaned and turned his body to one side. He stirred for a bit before he went back to rest. However, his sleep was brutally interrupted by a fierce nudge on the shoulder. "Shiro-chan."_

_With the support of an elbow, the grumbling child slowly sat up. When he opened his eyes, he saw the raven haired girl kneeling next to him. "What?"_

_Hugging her pillow up to her face, the shy female asked, "C-Can I sleep with you?"_

_As the question slowly registered in his thoughts, Hitsugaya blushed and turned his head away. "W-Why can't you sleep in your own bed or ask Obaa-san?"_

_"I-I had a nightmare...and I already asked to sleep with her the last couple of nights." She stopped for a moment to glance at their grandmother, who is sleeping in the futon next to him. Momo resumed her attention to him. "I don't want to ask her anymore; she already lost enough sleep."_

_As he scratched the side of his head, the boy sighed in defeat. "Fine, but don't expect me to let you do this again."_

_Much to her content, her lips curved into a small smile. "Arigato."_

_"Yeah yeah..." The emerald-teal eyed boy shifted over to make room for her. "Hurry before I change my mind."_

_With a single nod, Momo placed her pillow next to his and crawled into bed. After draping the blanket over their bodies, the happy girl snuggled. Once she is comfortable, she turned to face him. "Oyasumi Shiro-chan."_

_Feeling the heat from his cheeks again, Toshiro quickly turned his body away from her and replied, "Y-Yeah...good night."_

_After watching the flustered boy, a smile appeared on her face as she knew too well how he responds to embarrassing situations like this. With that in mind, she slowly closed her eyes and went to sleep._

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the soft creak. After snapping back to reality, the fifth division lieutenant placed a hand over her chest and lowered her head. Reminded why she's here, Momo pondered once more about the person who stands in her presence. Toshiro Hitsugaya: the smart mouthed yet caring boy from her childhood days she has grown to love versus this one, the cold and mysterious young man that followed Shin's orders and pose as her deceased friend. Which of these two sides of him is the truth?

There are so many things that show he is still the boy she remembered. However, there are just as many things that also prove he is not. After all she has done to figure it out; she is finally at her breaking point. Hinamori's hand suddenly gripped into a tight fist as she has come to a consensus; it's time to deal with this issue once and for all.

"Shiro-chan."

Standing a few feet away, the white haired male listened.

"Don't you think it's time you start explaining things?" Placing her hand on her side, Momo turned around to face him. "I asked you many questions. Yet, you don't answer. After a while, you suddenly tell me to follow your lead. Because I believed you will explain the truth, I complied with your requests. Despite all that, I still don't know."

She began raising her voice.

"But now, you kept me hanging long enough! So, start spilling the beans before..." Hinamori paused. "...b-before I decide to kill you!"

Intrigued by her response, Toshiro placed a hand on his hip and questioned, "Hn, do you really think you can do that?"

At first, Momo hesitated. However, it didn't take long for her to press on. "Y-Yes, I can!"

Suddenly, Hitsugaya turned serious and placed his hand down. He approached the Soul Reaper and extended his hand out. With his fingertips, he touched her cheek and tilted her head up so that their eyes meet. After a brief moment of silence, he asked, "Even if I said _I love you too_?"

She flinched. As much as she would like to return those sentiments, she doesn't have the heart to believe his words anymore. Thus, she became angry. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. She exclaimed, "W-Why should I believe you? You're probably messing with my head ju-just as you were instructed to by Shi-"

Without any warning, the wielder of Hyorinmaru threw his arms around her body. Ignoring the pain on his cheek, he pulled her close. Just as he leaned over, Momo knew what he was trying to do. So, she quickly placed her hands on his chest and harshly pushed him away.

"Get away from me!" she screamed. "I'm sick and tired of this charade!"

Suddenly, she dropped down to her knees. With her hands covering her face, she allowed her emotions to take over. She arched over and started crying.

"Stop it; stop toying with my feelings of the Shiro-chan I care and love so much!"

As she wailed on the cold and dusty floor, Hitsugaya slowly lowered his head. With his messy bangs covering his face, he got down to her level. While he is on one knee, Toshiro extended his hand out and gently cupped her face. After getting her attention, he looked directly at the chocolate brown orbs in her swollen eyes.

The raven haired girl blinked. Compared to all the other times, she didn't stare into a pair of icy cold eyes. As a matter of fact, she is staring into a pair of soft emerald-teal eyes. "Momo..."

He wiped a tear away with his thumb.

"I didn't come back here to get revenge on the Shinigami. I came back because I wanted to tell you something I failed to do before I died fifty-two years ago," he explained. "This is no lie; from here on out, I'm only going to speak the truth."

Toshiro then put his other knee down and wrapped his arms around the smaller body. As he rested his head on the side of her face, he whispered four small words in her ear.

"I love you, Momo."

She could believe what she was hearing; he felt the same way about her. Suddenly at a loss for words, the fifth division lieutenant slowly raised her hands. But before she can rest them on his back, she hesitated. What should she do? This could be another one of his flawless acts. She lowered her head. "I-I'm sorry, but I can't seem to believe you..."

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pulled away to see the sad Soul Reaper. Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, the white haired male let out a soft sigh. "I know I hurt you a lot over the past few days, but I had to. I don't want Shin or his followers to find out my intentions. Because I believed you still remember the boy who tried to save you that day, I wanted you to notice my strange behaviour and come after me."

"Well, you must be happy now," Hinamori said, raising her head. "You got what you wanted; I followed you like the naive girl I am."

Noticing the tears surface in her eyes once more, Hitsugaya felt his own emotions sway. If there is one thing he hated, it is to see the one he loves cry.

"I know. However, if you're not going to believe me anymore, then there's no point. I left many clues for you; I killed my allies just to help the Gotei 13 stand a chance against Shin. I even returned your feelings by taking your first kiss and saying those three special words," he explained. "What else do I need to prove that I am the same Shiro-chan who likes to eat watermelon while he watches the sunset next to her on the porch; tends to act like a brat whenever he's around his childhood friend when, in reality, it's only a coverup of his true feelings; and hates being called by that ridiculous nickname when he doesn't really mind it at all?"

He placed a hand on her cheek.

"Momo, please tell me; I don't want us to be like this."

Hinamori then placed her palm over his. Taking it, she slowly put his hand down. After looking down at the physical contact they are making, she looked up into his eyes and said, "Then, promise to always stay by my side."

Hitsugaya flinched. He slowly tilted his head forward before he turned away from her. With his bangs hiding the emotions in his eyes, he apologized in a soft voice, "I-I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that."

The raven haired lieutenant then lowered her head and bit the bottom of her lip. She tried to hold back her tears. However, they keep rolling down her cheeks. She can't make heads and tails with this anymore. So, she looked at him and angrily asked, "Why? If you want us to restore our friendship so badly, why can't you just keep it? That's all I ask of you!"

Feeling the hot tears begin to roll down her neck, Momo took a moment to wipe them away with her sleeves. Noticing his extended hand, she quickly smacked it away with her own. However, he anticipated the move and caught her by the wrist. She tried to do it again with her other hand, but he did the same with his other. She then struggled to break free of his grip. "Calm down and listen."

She raised her head and said, "Let me go, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Through he was a bit hurt for not being addressed by his nickname this time, he continued to press on, "I won't, not until you hear what I have to say. I really do want to keep it. However, considering the situation I'm in, it's not likely I can."

"Then, tell me the reason why you can't keep this promise?"

He looked directly into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Momo, I'm going to die."

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**Japanese World Translations**

_**Zankensoki** _- Soul Reaper's basic fighting techniques, _**Zanpakuto** _- Soul Cutter, _**Kido**_ - Demon Arts, _**Obaa-san** _- Grandmother, _**Hai**_ - Yes,_** Arigato** _- Thank You, _**Oyasumi** _- Good Night, **_Shinigami_ **- Soul Reaper

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**Author's Note**: OMG, it's the dreaded cliffhanger! O.o Why did Toshiro say that? Will Momo believe him? Where's all the HitsuHina love? Find out what happens in my next update. Please review! Thanks.


	12. Words of Wisdom

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own the _Bleach_ series nor their characters in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

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**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! Did you miss me? Thank you for all your patience. Now that school's over, I have some more spare time to do what I love: write stories about our beloved HitsuHina. Special thanks goes to my reviewers**: becomeafan, Playfully Serious, skylark dragonstar, ShiraChan-Desu, TUranzaRE711, squirtlepokemon215, meli. phillips, sukiatomomo, Floodlight-Zhou, hailey-shiro, Vicky-chan16, toshirolovehim, Vegetable lov3r, TheFayrinaTale, icyangel27,  
**and **HitsuHinalover.**

Last time, the Gotei 13 assembled to search for Hinamori and arrest Hitsugaya. In the living world, Ichigo and the others discover Shin's hideout and where the other Visords are held captive. Meanwhile, Toshiro began telling Momo the truth of his actions and words. However, she will only believe him if he promises to stay by her side. Hitsugaya replied he couldn't because he's going to die.

What is going to happen next? Read and find out! Enjoy!

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**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." __  
_

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**Unforgettable**

**Chapter Eleven**: Words of Wisdom

It felt as if a mysterious force knocked the wind out of her system. Through she said she won't believe him anymore, Hinamori couldn't help but recall the distant memory of him dying in her bloodstained arms. She forcefully broke free of his grip and clutched her hands to her lowered head. Once again, she is tormented by her wavering thoughts and emotions. Is he lying again? What if he really was telling the truth? What should she do to stop all her pain and suffering?

Suddenly, she felt something. Just as she raised her head, she was quickly pulled into an embrace. Resting against his chest, she could hear and feel the steady heartbeat. Slowly, she looked up to see her childhood friend planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

At that moment, all hell broke loose. She stopped caring about which side he's on; the lies he can possibly tell; and ultimately, the price she may pay. She just wanted to be comforted even if it is from him. The raven haired lieutenant removed her hands and tugged them on his sleeves. She buried her face in his yukata and softly cried. "Why? Why...do you think you're going to die?"

Toshiro closed his eyes and sighed, trying to figure out the proper words to convince Momo. Once he reopened them, he replied, "It's not what I think; it is what will happen. Besides, you're a master of kido. You should know the limitations of using the forbidden kido to revive the dead."

She raised her head. _"The limitations of reviving the dead?"_

Hinamori pondered for a bit before the realization dawned to her. She placed a hand over her mouth, covering the loud gasp. Why didn't she realize it sooner?

"If the user dies, then the people he revived will also...die."

Hitsugaya lowered his head. "That's right."

They fell silent, left to reflect their actions and their thoughts. Before long, they interacted once more. Suddenly feeling a soft touch on his cheek, Toshiro looked to see Momo glancing back. Judging by the expression on her face, she wanted to tell him something. So, he waited. However, what he got was unexpected. She pulled him into a kiss. Though he was surprised by her actions, he didn't complain. It was a good sign that the peach girl whom he love so much is finally seeing things his way. So, he closed his eyes and returned the sentiment he yearned to receive.

Securing his arms around her, he tilted his head and parted his lips so that she can deepen the kiss. She brushed through the soft white hair, enjoying the savoury moment she has dreamed for so long. She moaned before she pulled back. However, it didn't take long for him to grow impatient and gently push her down to the dirty floor.

Kneeling over her, the two lovers stared at one another. "I-I'm really sorry...for not believing you, Toshiro. I-I was just..."

He broke into a smile, and lowered his head to give her another kiss. He soon pulled back and replied, "It's alright. You were confused and emotionally upset. I also went too far with my dramatization."

"Maybe we can just capture Shin and send him to jail."

Hitsugaya then sighed in defeat. He rolled off the fifth division lieutenant and sat next to her. Once she sat up as well, he replied, "Baka, what makes you think he's going to jail after all this? Even if I somehow survived past the forbidden kido, it would distort the soul's life and death cycle."

He placed his hand over hers and gently squeezed it.

"I've already lived my life here; it's time for my soul to be reborn in the living world."

Feeling sad, Momo leaned against his shoulder. It was already hard enough to lose him once. But to lose him twice, she's uncertain she can handle it. "There has to be a way..."

Again, Toshiro sighed. Knowing that his childhood friend is worried about his foretold end, he decided to not press the issue any longer. "I heard about Obaa-san's condition."

Hinamori pulled away for a moment and lowered her head. During her last year in the academy, she was informed that her grandmother's eyesight is slowly deteriorating. Without proper treatment, she would become blind. However, with the economic situation and the limited spending they had at the time, the inevitable happened. To make sure she is safe, she moved out of the house to live with a close friend of hers while she lives within the boundaries of Seireitei.

"I couldn't visit her for obvious reasons. How is she doing?"

"The last time I visited her, she was fine," she replied. "She has gotten used to using a cane to feel her way around."

"That's good."

Hinamori leaned over and cuddled against him. "She even went to go visit you on your anniversary."

"I see."

"She really missed you."

"I miss her too..." He stopped for a moment to rest his chin on her head. "...As well as you. Whenever I was away from Shin, I visit you from time to time to see how you were doing."

Suddenly, she jerked back. "Eh? You were watching over me from where?"

He blushed and slowly turned his head away. "The nearby trees and sometimes the roof."

"No way!" Momo exclaimed. "No wonder I feel watched sometimes! You were stalking me!"

He resumed his attention to her and sputtered, "S-Stalking you? You make it sound like I'm a pervert!"

"You might have seen me changing or..." She paused. "...or taking a shower!"

Hitsugaya turned a few shades darker. "Baka, there's no way I would do that to you! That's indecent!"

"Boys of your age normally wouldn't hold back their desires!"

"Uruse!" he snapped. "Don't put me in that category! You know I'm better than tha-"

All of a sudden, they heard a noise and quickly got on their feet. With their hands on the hilt of their zanpakutos, they waited for the front entrance to open. Once it did, their eyes widened in surprise. Standing at the door is a small old woman, waving her cane around to know where she's going. "Is anyone in here?"

"Obaa-san."

As Momo ran up to the elderly woman, Toshiro just stood. Seeing her current physical state (defined wrinkles; frail voice; and weight lost) reminded him how much time passed. Much like the raven haired lieutenant, he wanted to run and embrace her. However, he knew better. The white haired male lowered his head, hiding the stirred emotions in his eyes. "Momo, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh Momo," Obaa-san said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Hinamori replied. "What about you?"

"I'll manage." Though she couldn't see anymore, the older female is aware of another presence in their aged humble home. "It seems like you brought a friend with you."

Hinamori glanced over at her childhood friend. With a faint smile on his face, he raised his head and politely bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Momo extended her hand out. Just as she is about to say something, Toshiro shook his head. Realizing what he's doing, the peach girl placed her hand over her chest. "What brings you here, Momo? You know I don't live here anymore."

Resuming her attention to Obaa-san, she replied, "I know. I just came here to remember...the good times we had when Shiro-chan was still here."

_"Momo,"_ Hitsugaya thought.

"Toshiro, huh?" The Rukongai resident placed a hand on the door sill. "Though he lived for a short time, he was happy."

"How? How did you know?"

She looked at the younger girl. "He had you."

Hinamori blinked. "Me?"

"Before he met you, he was quite lonely. He didn't play with the neighbourhood children. Instead, he was always looking after me. I didn't want him to carry such responsibility at a young age. I wanted him to live the way normal boys his age do," elderly grandmother explained. "After you entered his life, he changed. Yeah, he did act a little grumpier and spoiled. However, I knew that deep inside, he was happy to have you as his company."

Momo cracked a smile on her face. _"He was happy..."_

She looked over to see the surprised expression on his face. He soon let out a smile as well.

_"...to the point of falling in love with me."_

"Do you miss him?" Toshiro asked.

Hearing his voice, the resident looked in his direction. Placing her hands together on her cane, the woman fell silent. A nostalgic smile appeared on her lips. "I would be lying if I said no. He was my grandson."

"I see."

"If he was still here, I'm sure he would have grown into a fine young man."

Momo giggled at the irony because she didn't have to imagine what he looks like now. "I think so too."

With the guide of her cane, Obaa-san turned around to watch the disappearing sunset from the horizon and the greeting of the early night stars. "As long as we remember him in our hearts, he'll always be with us."

Toshiro smiled. He walked up to the two caring women and watched the beautiful scenery. He closed his eyes for a moment to recall the distant memory of them sitting on the porch, eating watermelons.

"I have to go back."

He opened his eyes again just before Hinamori asked, "Do you need my help?"

"I can find my way," the old woman said. "Besides, you need to back to Seireitei soon."

"Yeah."

"Stay safe, Momo."

"I will, Obaa-san."

With that said, they watched the elderly woman leave them behind. "See you, Obaa-san."

She looked over to see his bittersweet expression. Momo lowered her head to see his hand placed on his side. Slowly, she extended hers out to reach his.

Feeling the small tingle on his hand, he looked down to see the one responsible for the touch. He soon diverted his attention to the raven haired lieutenant standing next to him. Seeing the small smile on her face, his eyes softened. He joined hands with hers.

They soon turned to face one another. With her free hand placed on his chest, they pressed their lips together into a soft kiss. "Toshiro."

"Hn?"

"Why do you not cry?" Momo asked. "I know I would. Is it because you want to die?"

He sighed in defeat. "Of course I want to live. It's just...I've already used up all my tears for it many years ago."

"I see."

She paused.

"Can we stay here?" Hinamori asked. "I want us to be together for as long as we can."

He took a moment to brush through her soft bangs. "Don't worry; I don't intend to go anywhere else. We have many years to make up for all the time we missed and...the time we don't have after I'm gone."

"You're not going to die; I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks, but we can't be too optimistic. It will hurt us both."

"I know, but..."

Toshiro suddenly placed a finger over her lips. Once she fell silent, he removed it and said, "I love you, Momo."

Her eyes softened, comprehending the meaning of his actions and words. All he wants right now is to cherish all the moments they have together from here on out. "I love you too."

With that said he placed a hand on her cheek and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

* * *

Walking in the darkness of the night, Angel looked back and forth for any sign of her white haired crush. She placed a hand over her chest, worried for his health. "I hope he's alright."

All of a sudden, she felt something grab onto her shoulder. Once she turned around, the female jumped at the sight of the black hooded figure. She sighed in relief.

"Gosh, don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, but I had to conceal my presence."

Angel folded her arms and turned her body away. "So, what brings you out here? Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the G-"

"You still haven't found Toshiro?" the figure interrupted.

She turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "Hey, I'm just making sure he's not still around here."

"He might be," he replied. "Besides, Momo Hinamori is with him."

"WHAT?" Angel exclaimed. "That bitch is with my cutie?"

With her hands turned into fists, the pink haired girl punched the nearby tree trunk. As a result, the plant shook and loose a few leaves.

"How dare she get close to him?" Growling in frustration, she began stomping on the ground. "When I see her, I'll make sure she dies a painful deat-"

All of a sudden, she gasped. Frozen on the spot, she looked down to see a blade stab through her chest. Feeling her blood soak through her clothes, Angel glanced over her shoulder to see the hooded man has drawn his zanpakuto.

She hiss between her teeth and cursed, "D-Damn...you, traitor..."

With that said, she collapsed on the ground. After a brief moment of silence, the hooded male approached the lifeless corpse and pulled his zanpakuto out. He gave it a strong flick, removing the dripping blood from the blade. Once he put his sword back in its sheath, he said, "I'm no traitor, Angel. I just have an issue with you calling Hinamori a bitch."

Suddenly, he felt something. He placed his hand into his kimono and took out a cell phone. After pressing a single button, he held it against his ear and answered the call.

"Yes sir. Yes. Yes. No sir; they got killed." He paused for a moment to listen to what the person on the other line said. "No, they didn't. Your loyal follower isn't so loyal after all."

Again, he fell silent.

"Yes, I'm certain of it. Yes sir, I'll make sure he doesn't get away with it."

With that said, he ended the conversation with a single touch of a button. After he put his cell phone away, a sinister grin appeared on his face.

"Good luck getting out of this one, Toshiro."

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**Japanese Word Translations  
**

_**Kido**_ - Demon Arts,_** Baka** _- Idiot/Stupid, _**Obaa-san** _- Grandmother, _**Uruse** _- Shut Up, **_Zanpakuto _****  
**

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**Author's Note**: _*wipes tear from eye*_ Poor Obaa-san; poor HitsuHina...Will their love find a way to keep them together? Who killed Angel? Well, stay tuned and find out what happens in the next chapter! Please review! Thanks.


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